


Love to Love You, Baby

by CoffeeAtLukes



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama & Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff, Humor, Original Character(s), Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:40:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 94,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27009742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeAtLukes/pseuds/CoffeeAtLukes
Summary: Picks up during S5 Episode 21: "Blame Booze and Melville” and explores what could have happened if Lorelai's pregnancy scare would have resulted in the real thing. How does she navigate a pregnancy while fighting with Rory, running her business, the constant meddling from the elder Gilmore's, and working on a healthy relationship with her baby's father? When you have the whole town of Stars Hollow in your corner, everything's going to be just fine.
Relationships: Luke Danes/Lorelai Gilmore
Comments: 73
Kudos: 155





	1. Boozing and Birthing

The first thing she feels upon awakening is how cold she is. When her bleary eyes finally open, she realizes she's at Luke's apartment instead of her house. Her head is pounding--and she deduces it to the alcohol infused fun they had at the magazine party the night before. She shivers again and tugs at the covers, trying to pry them away from under Luke's bicep. Why was she so cold?

Lorelai slowly sits up, the bare state of her body the missing puzzle piece in how chilly she was that morning--or afternoon? Really, she had no clue what time it was. She finally peels the blanket away from Luke, his sleeping form completely unfazed by her movement. Lorelai wraps the blanket around herself, and travels around the corner and down the hall, following the trail of she and Luke's discarded clothes that were haphazardly littering the apartment. 

She sighs heavily, the night was so good, really. Luke even managed to say he had a good time despite his incessant ranting about New York. Suddenly, an anxious thought crosses her mind. Lorelai shuffles to her overnight bag, rooting through it in search of her birth control pills.

"Please, please, come on," she quietly says to herself while flipping open the container. She missed taking the last three pills. The last _three_. Not just one, but _three_.

How could she let this happen? She and Luke were always ridiculously careful, but in the drunken heat of the moment, Lorelai already knew he didn't use protection. 

She sits cross legged on the floor, still wrapped up in the blanket, staring at the birth control package as if that was going to magically make the three missed doses disappear. Lorelai wanted someone to blame. She could easily say it was because her mind was so preoccupied with the travel magazine hitting the stands, and the thought of her mother reading the horrifying things Lorelai said about her in it. But in all reality, the only person Lorelai could blame was herself, as much as it killed her to do so.

Luke awakens with a groan, immediately reaching for a non-existent Lorelai. He brings a hand to his head, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light, "Lorelai?"

"Down here," she calls out quietly.

He rolls over and swings his legs slowly over the side of the bed, "What are you doing down there?"

She freezes like a deer caught in the headlights, but immediately starts digging in her purse, "Oh, just looking for ibuprofen. I assume you could use some too, there pal?"

Luke snorts, "God, yes. I feel like I got hit by a Mack Truck. I can't believe people actually do this for fun," he rants, in a significantly quieter tone than normal.

Lorelai scoots over to him, dropping a couple tablets into his palm. He kisses the top of her head before popping them into his mouth, "We sure had a good time back here, huh?"

She looks up at him and nods, trying to put her mind on anything other than the possibility that she might might have gotten pregnant. "We had a _very_ good time...you could say," she laughs nervously before climbing back onto his bed.

He looks at her through knit brows, "Are you okay? You seem a little, I don't know, nervous? Did I do something wrong?"

"No! No, of course not, hon. I'm fine, really. I guess I'm still just a little loopy, that's all."

Luke runs his hand gently across her back, "You looked so beautiful last night. I'm sure I said it, but I'm saying it again now that we've both sobered up."

Lorelai snuggles into his side, resting her aching head on his chest, "You looked extremely handsome last night. I saw lots of wandering lady eyes falling on you. I'd have clawed them all out if I'd had a few more drinks in me at that point."

He chuckles, "That's probably a good thing. Wouldn't have been nearly as fun bailing you out of prison."

"Yeah, but then you could have given me one hell of a conjugal visit," she banters, running her hand along his bare chest. 

Before he can say anything in response, Lorelai's cell phone rings, causing both of them to flinch at the horribly loud ring tone, "Ughhh! Sorry!" she fumbles for it, answering it with an irritated, "Hello?"

"Lorelai! It's me Sookie! I'm in labor!"

She holds the phone away from her ear to accommodate Sookie's shrill yelling, "Sook, that's great--I uh, I'll come to the hospital, okay? I just need to pull myself together a little..."

Sookie can immediately tell that Lorelai is recovering from a wild night, "So, I take it you and Luke had an _enjoyable_ evening in New York, huh?" 

"Yes, we had a...very enjoyable time. Now, let me get ready so the kid can meet their Auntie Lorelai in her full, radiant glory," she tells her, clicking off the phone after they say their goodbyes.

Luke sits up and stretches his back, "I take it Sookie's having her baby now?"

"Yeah, she is. Of course she decided to have said child on a day that I look like Anna Nicole on her worst day," Lorelai rants, ambling toward the bathroom.

"I'll get us some coffee," Luke calls after her, throwing on some clothes before heading downstairs to the diner.

When Lorelai gets out of the shower, she stares at her body in the mirror. There was a possibility that nine months from now, she could be the one calling Sookie and telling her she was in labor. She quickly wraps a towel around herself, shaking the thought. It just could not happen now. She and Luke weren't ready for that next step. The two of them hadn't even been dating for a year yet, and that timeline was including the short split following her parents' disastrous vow renewal. Furthermore, she just couldn't picture Luke wanting kids. He always complained about them being sticky--"jam hands" was his favorite line to use when describing small children. He'd lose it if she sprang this on him now.

After loading on makeup to help hide the hangover, she dresses in jeans, a lace tank top and blazer, and makes her way towards the kitchen where Luke's heavenly coffee awaited her.

He places a mug in her hands and she takes a sip, "It's a miracle! I'm cured!"

Luke rolls his eyes, "If only it worked that quickly. I'll shower and then I can drive you over there."

"Are you sure? I can get someone else, or drive myself, I promise I'm fine--"

"I'd feel better if you didn't drive," he admits, somewhat shyly, and a smile creeps over Lorelai's face hearing the way he genuinely cared about her safety, "Plus, Caesar opened for me, and Lane's down there too, it'll be covered."

"But you hate hospitals," she pauses, testing something out, "and babies."

Luke scoffs, "I do not hate babies!"

"Well you haven't exactly been fond of them in the past! Remember that woman who was breastfeeding in the diner? Or when Sookie brought little Davey with for lunch that one day and you were all upset, even though he didn't make a peep!"

He folds his arms over his chest, "Okay, okay, maybe you have a slight point, but that was a long time ago. Things are...different now. I don't exactly love kids-- _other_ people's kids if we're going to get really technical, but I don't hate them, okay? Jeez, do you think I'm that heartless?"

Lorelai gives him a shy smile, nodding, "Well, that's good. Because, I, for one, think you'd make a very sexy daddy."

The comment catches him off guard, and Lorelai immediately regrets saying it, her face turning red. He doesn't respond though, other than giving her a small smile before going into the bathroom to shower.

She slumps down on the armchair, mentally slapping herself for saying that to him. Although, his reaction wasn't entirely freak out. There was definitely something in his no syllable response that made Lorelai's heart warm.

/

Luke dropped Lorelai off at the maternity ward entrance and told her he'd be back again later to get her and meet Sookie's baby. She watched him drive off before turning around to face the entry, her mind once again thinking about the chance that she and Luke could be walking through this exact door in the near future.

After stopping at the front desk to get Sookie's room number, she finds her friend propped up against several pillows, cringing as she flipped through a magazine. "Brangelina is still going strong I see," Lorelai says upon entering. 

Sookie puts down the magazine and sighs, "I really do miss him and Jennifer."

Lorelai smiles and walks over to the side of Sookie's bed, "So, things are going good so far? Well, as good as a bowling ball trying to come out your nostril can be?"

"Yeah, it's going to be a lot quicker than Davey--to which I'm incredibly grateful for," she pauses, staring at Lorelai intently, "What I'm really interested in is hearing about you and Luke's little indiscretion last night."

"Well, that's what happens when you keep missing the food trays," Lorelai admits, "Instead we found the bar just fine. And each other. We found each other...just fine."

Sookie giggles, "Oh! Young love! It's such a beautiful thing. To live life with no rules! I feel like I've been pregnant for a million years, which is why I've been living vicariously through your non-pregnant self."

Lorelai laughs louder and more awkwardly than she intended, and Sookie flashes her a confused look. Before she can ask a follow up question, a nurse comes into the room, telling Lorelai she's going to do an examination.

She steps out into the hall, right where a heavily pregnant woman was being wheeled by, cursing out her partner for getting her into this situation. Lorelai watches the scene play out and opts for the lobby instead. She steps into the waiting room to find several women in various stages of pregnancy waiting with their partners to get checked in. Lorelai quickly changes her mind and darts down a quiet hallway, flipping open her cell to call the one person she knew could talk her down.

Rory answers with a hushed, "Hello?"

"Hi, kid. Mommy needs you to talk her down, big time."

"Oh, no. Did you have the cream puff for hands dream again?" Rory asks, remembering a time not too long ago that her mother called her in a panic over the bizarre dream.

Lorelai sighs, "I wish it was the cream puff dream I was calling about," she pauses for a few beats before saying in just above a whisper, "I might be pregnant."

"Wait--what?!"

"That sibling you asked Santa for when you were six, might be on it's way," Lorelai responds, pacing around a near water fountain. 

Rory's quiet at first, trying to make sense of the situation, "Okay, so you just think you might be pregnant? Aren't you insanely careful? You've always said you have your roadblocks roadblocked."

"I blame Mom. She never sat me down for the talk. And Miss Driscoll. She had her chance too, all those PTA meetings, and all she ever talked about was golf."

"Alright, alright, so how did this happen?"

Lorelai leans against the wall with a huff, "Luke and I came home from the magazine party last night and we were a little loopy and it got... _primordial._ All roadblocks down if you catch my drift."

Rory raises a brow in confusion, "Yeah, but why do you think you're pregnant? Aren't you still on the pill?"

"Oh, but see, that's the real kicker! When I woke up this morning and realized what happened, I checked my pill count and got a rude awakening that I not only missed last night's pill, but two more before that! I've been so damn preoccupied right now, with the stupid article coming out and your grandmother eventually reading what I accidentally let slip to the travel writer."

"Oh no, the Joseph Stalin comment really made it in there, didn't it?"

Lorelai pinches the bridge of her nose, "Yes."

Rory puts down the pen she was tapping, and crosses her legs under herself. "Listen, mom, I really think you need to calm down about this. Just because you missed a few pills and let your roadblocks down for one night, does not automatically mean you got pregnant. You're probably freaking out over nothing. At least don't start the panic until you have some symptoms," she pauses, thinking about Luke, "And would it really be so bad to have a baby with Luke? I thought things were going really well between you two now?"

Lorelai clutches her purse into her side, subconsciously staring at her stomach, "Things are going really well with Luke, Sweets, it's just--we're not ready. We've never even had the big 'do we want kids' conversation. And we both know that Luke isn't exactly Mr. Rodgers."

"Thank God for that. He'd look horrible in those sweater vests," Rory jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

Lorelai finally smiles, "Thanks, kid. I knew I could count on you to bring me back to earth. Hey, um, don't say anything about this to anyone, okay? It probably is just my overactive imagination."

"My lips are sealed. How's Sookie by the way? I got your text earlier."

"Oh, fine. She's all checked in, breathing normally, contracting painfully. The cursing should start any time now--everything's as it should be," Lorelai says, starting to walk back to Sookie's room, "Thanks again, my current one and only offspring. I really love you."

Rory smiles, collecting her things to head off to her class, "I love you, too. Tell Sookie and Jackson congrats from me."

"Will do. Talk to you soon."

/

"She's real pretty," Lorelai coos as she holds little Martha in her arms.

Sookie beams from the bed, "Isn't she? Good thing she's so cute, otherwise the pain would have been entirely for nothing."

"Where's Jackson?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you? I sent him off to get the ol' snip snip," Sookie says casually.

Lorelai finally peels her eyes off the baby, "Huh? What happened to four in four?"

"Sookie said hell to the no," she answers, folding her arms over her now much smaller abdomen, "I just decided that I don't want more than two. I love being a mom, but the thought of four in four was horrifying."

Lorelai laughs softly at her friend's honesty, "I get it, really. I mean, one is a lot of work, I can't imagine having four in four. Talk about never sleeping again," she pauses rocking Martha back into her previous sleepy state, "Sook, when did you know?"

"When did I know what?"

"That you were pregnant."

Sookie knits her brows, trying to recall, "I don't know, a couple weeks maybe? A few? It really didn't hit me until I started having really weird cravings."

Lorelai bites her bottom lip and nods, "So, you didn't like, instinctively know?"

"You had one, you don't remember?"

"Yeah, but that was twenty years ago. It's all a bit cloudy."

Sookie shrugs, "Why are you asking?"

Lorelai knows she could confide in her, but she doesn't want to tell anyone else before being positive that she is, "No reason. I guess being in the maternity ward just makes me wonder about these things."

Sookie dismisses her questioning, too tired to pry any further. A few minutes later Luke pokes his head into the room, his eyes softening when he sees Lorelai with the baby.

"Hey, look who it is Martha. Uncle Luke came to say hello to you," she says softly, joining him where he stood at the foot of Sookie's bed. 

He looks down at the tiny bundle, content in his girlfriend's arms. Luke was shocked at just how small newborn babies start out. He vaguely remembers seeing Jess as a newborn, but the kid was a tank, nowhere near the petite size Martha was. "Congratulations, she's uh, cute--so tiny and cute," he stammers, clearly out of his comfort zone.

Lorelai grins, "This is new turf for him, you'll have to excuse the caveman speak," she leans up and pecks a kiss to his cheek, "Want to hold her?"

Luke is about to say no, but the happily anticipated looks on both Sookie and Lorelai's faces make him reconsider, "Um, sure..."

Lorelai carefully places the bundle in his arms, "Just watch her head. Yeah, there you go. See? It's not so scary."

He's tense at first, but immediately starts to relax once Martha curls closer to his chest. Lorelai's eyes glimmer seeing him with the tiny baby. "So this is Martha, huh?"

"Martha Janice-Lori-Ethan-Rupert-Glenda-Carson-Daisy-Danny Belleville," Jackson proudly states, entering the room and holding an ice pack on his groin.

"Yep, that won't be hard to fit on a drivers license," Luke deadpans, and Lorelai elbows him in the side. 

Martha starts to squirm and Luke passes her back to Lorelai, who bounces her gently and runs a hand along Martha's tiny arm. The baby calms down almost immediately, and reaches up to grab Lorelai's finger, "Hi, pretty girl," she whispers, a loving smile across her face.

Luke always knew Lorelai was a wonderful mother, but he'd never seen her interact with a baby so small before. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see how good Lorelai was with the newborn. And it definitely made Luke feel something he never had before.

"As much as I'd love to stay and snuggle this cutie all night, I know you're tired and we should hit the road," Lorelai says, giving Martha back to Sookie. 

"Thanks for being here, both of you," Sookie says, squeezing Lorelai's hand before saying their goodbyes.

As Luke and Lorelai exit the hospital, he reaches out to grab her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. "What?"

He looks over at her, "What do you mean, what? I kind of like you, sorry," he sarcastically responds, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Yeah, but you aren't a hand-holder."

Luke scoffs, "What? I can't become one?"

She meets his gaze and grins, gripping his hand a little tighter. He smiles and pecks a kiss on the side of her head before going around to unlock the truck. Lorelai reveled in their sweet, silent exchange. The butterflies that flitted in her stomach were enough to make her believe that everything was going to turn out just fine.


	2. Edgy, Like Chris Rock!

As the days ticked by, Lorelai woke up each morning fully expecting some kind of symptom to pop up and to have the great epiphany that she was pregnant. But, day after day, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Maybe Rory was right and she was completely overreacting about the whole situation. A few weeks after said incident, Lorelai woke up to stomach cramps, just an added bonus to starting out her Friday, which included dinner at her parents' house. 

She curls up in a ball, breathing a sigh of relief as she rubbed her hand along her slightly bloated stomach. Finally, a sign of her monthly visitor, coming to assure her that there was no Baby Danes arriving in the next nine months. 

Luke had spent the night at her house, and he feels her shift around, rolling to his side to find her curled up in a ball. "Hey, you alright?" he says gently, running his hand along her back. She sighs, "Yeah, just those pesky little cramps."

He doesn't answer at first, and then comes to the realization, "Ohhhh. Uh, do you need me to get you anything?"

"Maybe just the heating pad if you don't mind. It's in the top drawer of that dresser."

He kisses her temple and rolls out of bed to retrieve it, "No problem."

She stays curled up in bed with the heating pad until the last possible minute. Luke was already long gone to the diner, but she smiles when she discovers the fresh chocolate chip pancakes he had made for her in the kitchen.

The day went by relatively normally, until she went to Doose’s Market to pick up a few things for the inn. She was passing the produce section when the apples caught her attention. The display of shiny, red apples was too good to pass up, so she bagged a few, shocked that she actually had a craving for fruit. 

It wasn't until she was back at her desk that she realized the last time she had such a powerful craving for apples was when she was pregnant with Rory.

Lorelai quickly drops the apple, as if continuing to eat it would be the determining factor in her being pregnant or not. She couldn't be though. This had to be all in her head. The cramps that morning were a dead giveaway that Aunt Flow was just about to make her appearance. Lorelai was pretty surprised she hadn't gotten it by now. A bit of spotting that morning and then nothing.

Maybe she overlooked something. Maybe her body was trying to tell her something her head tried to reject.

The only way to know for sure was to take a pregnancy test herself. The thought was terrifying enough. The last time she'd taken one she found out about Rory--over two decades ago. Have the tests changed since then? Did you still pee on it, or was there now a new high tech way to find out you were knocked up?

Lorelai felt completely in over her head and decided to take off early, despite the badgering from Michel. She tried Rory's cell, which was probably a stupid idea considering she was crazy busy at her internship with Logan's father at the time. 

Going to the Gilmore's for dinner was the last place she wanted to be, but at least she'd have a distraction for the time being. Her mother had been telling her all about the ballet dancer she was housing, and couldn't wait to introduce her. Lorelai's surprised when Emily opens the front door upon her arrival.

"Uh, hi?"

"Lorelai! Come in, come in! I'd like you to meet that lovely dancer I was telling you about on the phone," Emily prattled on.

She steps into the foyer, meeting the eyes of a handsome, young man. "Oh boy, you certainly looked different in your picture."

Emily walks over to the young man, "Lorelai, this is Mikhail. Mikhail, my daughter Lorelai."

"Hi, Mikhail. Uh, mom, what happened to the girl...Paola?"

She scoffs, "Oh that annoying little stick? She drove me crazy!"

Lorelai raises a brow in confusion, "Okay...I thought you loved her?"

Emily throws her hands up in the air as she makes her way into the living room, "There was something wrong with her! She was so flighty, so skinny. She made no noise when she walked, so you couldn't hear her coming. I felt like I was being stalked by an elf!"

Lorelai tries to stifle her laughter, "So you just decided to trade her in for another human being?"

"Yes, Lorelai. I paid for her and she wasn't what I wanted. And now I have Mikhail--easy on the eyes, isn't he? You should see him stretch!" Emily beams.

"I'm sure it's arousing," Lorelai deadpans, sitting across from her mother and Mikhail.

Emily side eyes her, "What's in the bag?"

"She's got mystery bag," Mikhail points out to Emily, who grins wildly, "Yes! A mystery bag! Now show us what's in it."

Lorelai sighs, the moment of truth about to come crashing down on her, "Well, you know that cover story for the travel magazine? Here it is. Right, uh, right here in print," she holds up a copy before quickly stuffing it back into the bag.

"Why are you trying to hide it? Let me see it," Emily demands. "Lorelai owns her own inn. What would you call it? A dacha?"

Mikhail nods and smiles, "Yes, dacha."

Lorelai squirms as Emily flips through the magazine, praising how stunning the photos were. As she opens to the article page, Lorelai quickly gets up, excusing herself and making a dash to the closest downstairs bathroom. She was still having cramps, and they seemed to be only aggravated by her mother's presence. She stares in the mirror, analyzing her midsection at various angles. She was definitely a little bloated, but that could easily be chalked up to her monthly visitor. 

"Oh my god! Oh my _god!_ " 

Lorelai sits on the bathroom counter, cringing as she hears her mother's shrill tone echoing through the house. Suddenly, she's met with a loud banging against the bathroom door, "Lorelai Victoria! This is _pathetic!_ "

"I know," Lorelai replies, not moving from her perch on the counter.

"The heinous things you say in this!"

She sighs, "I know, I know."

Emily huffs loudly, "Calling _me_ Pol Pot!"

"Mom, it was meant as a joke! The Pol Pot, the walking anthrax. I was just being edgy, like Chris Rock!"

"Walking anthrax?! Oh, for gods sake!"

Lorelai clutches her stomach, "Yes, I know, I know, and I am really sorry. Now would you stop yelling?!"

"Open the door and I will!"

Doing as her mother requested, but still keeping a safe distance, Lorelai opens the door a small crack. "Look, Mom, I was mad at you when I did the interview, okay? And I said things, but I didn't mean them, it just happened. And I'm not used to talking to reporters. I didn't know about the whole 'off the record, on the record' thing. But I know now. And I'm really sorry it happened," she pauses, staring at the ground, "Can we please stop talking about it? I'm kind of...just, dealing with a lot right now, and this isn't helping. Please?"

Emily's brow furrows, she isn't used to hearing a vulnerable tone in her daughter's voice, "It isn't Rory, is it?"

"No, no--Rory's fine, it's just, it's nothing."

"Well, how can it be nothing if it's causing you all this stress?" Emily counters.

Lorelai opens the door the rest of the way, "I mean, it's not nothing--it's just nothing I want to discuss right now. Rory's fine, the inn's fine, Luke and I are fine...it's kind of personal, okay?"

Emily scoffs, "How very typical of you. Always trying to keep me out of your personal life."

"God, Mom, I didn't mean it like that! All I want--"

Lorelai's cut off by her cell phone ringing. She notices it's Rory and answers on the second ring, "Hello?"

"Mom..."

"Hey, um, when are you getting here? I really, really want you here."

Rory pauses for several beats, causing Lorelai's nerves to climb even higher, "You need to come and get me," her voice waivers.


	3. What About The Kids?!

"What's on your hands?"

"Fingerprints."

Lorelai nods, staring straight ahead, "Right. I uh, I need to run in and get something quick, just stay here," she tells Rory, sliding out of the jeep. She walks into the Bridgeport store, going right to the section that had the pregnancy tests. She stands across from them, looking at all the different brands and styles. Another woman, maybe a few years younger than Lorelai joins her in the aisle and she gives her a small nod.

The woman grabs a box and Lorelai notices the brand, "Clear Blue? Is that a good one? It kind of looks like the Cadillac of pregnancy tests." 

She laughs and nods, "Yeah, I don't know. I used this one the last time I found out I was pregnant--thought it might be lucky or something," she pauses, "Lacey."

"Lorelai," she introduces herself, "The last time I took one of these I wasn't even sixteen yet, and I found out I was expecting my now twenty year old--who I just had to go pick up from...jail." Lacey's eyes widen and Lorelai continues, "She and her incredibly entitled boyfriend decided to steal a yacht earlier tonight. I have no idea what transpired to make them do that, but either way, now _I_ have to deal with it, on top of the fact that I might be pregnant--once again, disappointing my parents by having another kid without a ring on my finger, and my boyfriend and I haven't even had the big 'do we want kids?' talk, even though he and I had a decade long friendship before we started dating, our communication skills are still nonexis--oh my God, I'm so sorry. I probably sound like a crazy person."

Lacey gives her a little half laugh, and shakes her head, "No, really, I completely get it. Us moms don't get _nearly_ enough credit for everything we have to put up with. Everything will work out, Lorelai. And you should just tell your boyfriend, his reaction might surprise you."

Lorelai smiles, finally taking the pregnancy test box off the shelf. “I hope so. And thanks, for the recommendation,” she says waving the box in the air. 

“No problem. Good luck, Lorelai.”

/

"So do you want to go in and eat or take it home?"

Rory stares at her hands, "Home."

Lorelai nods, "Okay," she pauses tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, "We're having a bike race. Bike race through town, the first one ever. Taylor's really exited. Maybe Sheryl Crow will come."

"Maybe," Rory says, still refusing to look at her mother.

Lorelai turns to look at her, "Probably not though," she places her hand over Rory's, "I'm running out of small talk, kid. Got to get around to the main event here soon."

Rory finally meets her gaze and Lorelai can tell her eyes are glossy, "I know."

"Rory, what happened?"

She's about to answer, but her cell phone rings and she takes it out, causing Lorelai to scoff, "No, do not answer that."

"But it's Logan," Rory says, which makes Lorelai even more frustrated. Just hearing that kid's name was enough to send steam through her ears. "Rory, no. I don't want you talking to him right now."

Rory scoffs, "Why not?"

"Because he just got you arrested! And do not protect him, I know he got you into this mess!"

She snaps the cell phone shut, turning in the seat towards Lorelai, "It was my idea to steal the yacht, okay? _Mine._ Mine alone! Logan was at his sister's engagement party having a perfectly lovely time and I showed up and dragged him off. _He_ spent the night in jail because of _me_! Now, I need to call him back."

Lorelai gets out of the jeep, slamming the door behind her. How could Rory possibly instigate something like this? If Lorelai knew her daughter at all, she could be sure that something transpired to make Rory want to act out. And it definitely had to do with Logan or his family. 

Luke was wiping counters when he saw her approaching. He smiled at first, but then he saw the look on his girlfriend's face. She whips open the front door, heading straight toward him, "Rory stole a yacht. How's your night been?"

He stares at her, completely dumbfounded, "What? What do you mean, Rory _stole_ a yacht?"

Lorelai sits down at the counter, rubbing her temples with her hands, "I uh, I just got back from picking up Rory from the Bridgeport police department, where she was brought following her arrest for grand theft boating."

Luke reaches out, his hands brushing her shoulders, in attempt to calm her down, "Tell me what happened."

"I don't know what happened! I haven't gotten all the details yet. I did get a piece of paper with a court date on it. June 3rd. Sounds like a great day to go to court, don't you think?!"

She's close to tears, which seemed unusual for Lorelai. Even in the most stressful situations, she rarely cried. Luke could only name a small handful of times in the decade he's known her. 

"Was she with that Logan kid?"

Lorelai sniffles, "Yeah, he got arrested too."

Luke scoffs, throwing his hands up in the air, "Well, there you go! He got her into this."

She wipes the tears off her cheeks, "Yeah, that's what I said, too."

He comes around to the other side of the counter, letting her curl into his arms, her head pressed into his chest. "God, Luke, I'm not prepared for this! Rory's never even shoplifted! Not a candy bar, not a lipstick. She forgot to return a library book once and she was so guilty about it that she grounded herself. I mean, can you imagine? She's just sitting there in her bedroom yelling at me, 'Now no one else got to read the Iliad this week because of me!' A girl who grounds herself over a late library book does not steal a yacht!"

Luke runs his hand along her back, "What can I do?"

"Rory hasn't eaten anything. I'm kind of hungry too."

He nods, "Okay, I can make you burgers."

She shakes her head, "No, no--I gotta get home and get to the bottom of this. I'll just, uh, take some donuts to go. Is that okay? Yeah, I'm just going to do that."

He watches as she frantically opens a paper bag, shoving a few donuts into it. "You want some coffee to go?"

Lorelai is about to agree, but pauses, thinking better of it. "No, I better not. I'm, uh, already wired enough..."

"Okay," he simply replies, "Everything is going to be okay, Lorelai. This is not the end of the world, trust me." He draws her close, pressing a soft kiss to her lips and she manages a smile, "Thanks, Luke. I'll let you know when I find out more."

"No problem," he watches her leave, feeling the weight of the situation crash down around him. Rory was _such_ a good kid. She never got in trouble. This came completely out of left field. But, Luke could tell there was something else going on. Lorelai had been acting aloof for the past couple weeks, if he stopped and thought about it. Maybe it was something he did? If that was true, it was completely unintentional. He flips the lights off in the diner, telling himself to follow up with it the next day.

/

"Oh my god, I'll kill him!"

"It's not his fault. I mean, if he doesn't think I could be a journalist, it's probably best that he tells me before I fall on my face."

Lorelai sits with Rory in the living room, finally hearing the story behind Rory's anger and need to steal the yacht. Her mother's intuition was correct; Rory stole the yacht in frustration after Mitchum _Huntzberger_ told her she didn't have what it took to be a journalist. 

"Rory, you can't go and ruin your life over some arrogant creep like Mitchum telling you that you don't have it! Why would you listen to someone like that? After years and years of teachers and professors and friends and family telling you how good your writing is?! He has spent all of, what, _two_ , _three_ weeks with you? He doesn't _know_ you Rory."

"But he's the publisher."

"I don't care if he's God! This is one man's opinion. He did not invent journalism. He is just one asshole with a really good parking space," Lorelai counters. 

She's silent for a long time, realizing that everything her mother has said is right. It was just one guy's opinion. Why did she put so much pressure on it? Probably because she just wanted to make a good impression on her boyfriend's father. "I'm so sorry. I was so stupid. I'll never do anything this stupid again."

Lorelai smiles and wraps her arms around her daughter, "Aw, sure you will."

"Oh my god. Oh my god, I have to go to court!" Rory announces, as if she's just realized it now, "I have to get my car and find an outfit to wear to court--what do you wear to court?!" 

"Hon, relax, we'll figure it out."

Rory sighs, "Yeah, yeah we will. Thanks, mom. I really am sorry," she apologizes again.

"It's okay, Rory. You learned from it."

"I'm going to go to bed, goodnight mom. I love you."

Lorelai squeezes her hand, "I love you too, kid."

After Rory disappears into her bedroom, Lorelai darts upstairs, and right into the bathroom. She'd been chugging water all night, and luckily Rory was too distracted to catch on. Lorelai pulls the pregnancy test out of her purse, scanning the instructions briefly. Why she'd been so nervous about it, she didn't know. It was the same simple, 'pee on the stick' as it'd always been. 

She takes the test, leaving it on the bathroom counter. She flops down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. In less than three minutes, she'd know if she was going to be raising another kid who'd one day grow up and steal a yacht. Lorelai still couldn't believe her little Rory did that. She didn't even know Rory knew _how_ to steal something. At least she was remorseful about it. The three minutes is long over and Lorelai finally sits up, staring into the bathroom like it was an abyss. She just needed to look at it. Lorelai promised herself whatever the results were, she'd handle it better than when she was sixteen. And that meant immediately telling the baby's father if it was indeed a positive result. 

Lorelai stands over the counter, the plastic stick seemingly staring back at her. She picks it up carefully, taking a deep, audible breath before turning it over in her hand. 

" _Whoa._ "

/

Lorelai had prepped herself all morning before she left for work, to have the big conversation with Luke later that day. She practiced saying the words, " _Luke, I'm pregnant,_ " in various ways with different intonations over the past three days. It was still hard to comprehend the fact that she was going to have another baby. After the one positive test, she paid an inconspicuous high school girl fifty bucks to sneak into Doose's and buy her a couple more tests. After she had taken both of them and got two more positive results, she knew it was time to tell Luke. 

The inn was completely booked from all the bikers in town, and Lorelai was waiting on the handyman Michel called to fix the loose banister. Michel plops down a large gift basket on her desk, with an overdramatic "Hummpph!" 

"What's this?"

"This monstrosity is for you, apparently," he responds, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow.

Lorelai's face lights up, "A present? I looooove presents! I wonder who it's from?" she picks up the card, "Lorelai, a little something to make the trip over to the Durham Group a bit more fun. Mike Armstrong," she picks up the cashmere travel pillow, "Thank you Mike Armstrong!"

"That is the man who wants to buy the inn, no?" Michel asks.

She nods, "Sure is. Hey, Michel, take something. You love products."

He gives her a pointed stare, "You're going to do it, aren't you?"

"Do what?"

"Sell the inn to the gift basket man, Mike Armstrong."

Lorelai ignores him, finding some euros, "Oooo, cool."

"You are going to sell the inn to Mike Armstrong and then you're going to go off and have a wonderful life and I am going to be unemployed. A very attractive asset on the dating scene. You know, we have our own little section at Match.com," Michel rants.

"Michel, stop it. I'm probably not going to take the deal, okay?"

He gives her a hopeful glance, "You're not?"

"This is my inn and I love it here. It's just fun being wooed, you know? Having someone want you so badly, they're willing to send you Prescriptives misting lotion. Oh, hey, did the handyman show up yet?"

Michel shrugs, "No, he has not. Should I call him again?"

Lorelai shakes her head, "No. Forget it. I'll call Luke. He'll come fix it and all it'll cost me is my honor."

He rolls his eyes, "Hm. What a lovely arrangement you have with the mountain man."

"Here, take this booze. I uh, don't want it."

Michel looks over the bottle, finds it seemingly fancy enough, and walks away. Lorelai busies herself with a few tasks before Luke shows up, his toolbox in hand, "Alright, I got ten minutes, what do you need?"

"The loose banister upstairs."

"Okay, easy enough. What's all this stuff?" Luke asks, pointing to the gift basket.

Lorelai giggles, "It's my big fancy present!"

"From who?"

"From Mike Armstrong," Lorelai says coyly.

Luke's eyes narrow immediately, "Who the hell is Mike Armstrong?"

She sighs dramatically, "He's my other lover. He owns a diner in Woodbury. Wears his baseball cap the right way. I didn't want you to find out this way, but--"

Luke reads the card, "The Durham Group."

"Oh, darn! I thought you'd really buy my story. Yeah, they're the hotel chain who wants to buy the inn," she informs him.

He raises his brows, "Sell the inn?"

"Yeah, Mike Armstrong gave me a pretty good offer at that meeting I had with him."

Luke follows her toward the stairs, "And?"

"And what?"

He sets his toolbox down, "What happened?"

"Nothing, really. He talked, I listened. I told him I'd think about it."

Luke scoffs, "Think about it?!"

"Yeah, why are you freaking out?"

"Well, you'd be selling the inn! _Your_ inn! And then after you'd sell it, then what, huh?"

Lorelai stares at him in confusion, "I'd be like a consultant for their company or something."

"Are you going to take the job?"

"I don't know Luke. Things have come up, and it might be a smart option to sell...I'm still mulling."

He drops his jaw in disbelief, "Mulling! You're still mulling, she's still _mulling!_ "

"Why are you so upset about this?" Lorelai asks in serious confusion. 

"I'm not upset--I just can't believe you're still mulling! I mean, you're seriously considering selling the inn and taking a job in their office? Do you even know where their office is?"

Lorelai starts to catch on to why he's freaking out over it, "They have a bunch of them, Luke. I don't know exactly where I'd be."

"You should've asked! And then there's all that travel! There's travel right?"

She sighs, "Probably, I don't know."

"Well--what about the kids?!"

Lorelai stands in front of him, completely stunned. There was no way he could have found out about the baby. She awkwardly looks away, unable to say anything in response. He's completely flustered and starts waving his arms frantically, "Never mind! Just forget it--" he tries to go upstairs and she stops him. 

"Luke, wait. How do you...?"

He stares blankly at her, "How do I, what?"

"Do you know?" she asks quietly.

"Do I know...what?"

Lorelai looks at the ground for a moment, and then back up at him. She finally breathes a sigh of overwhelm and anticipation, "Luke, I'm pregnant."

He stares at her, as if he didn't hear her, and then his eyes finally widen. He reaches for the banister to brace himself. "Careful! Banister's loose!" Lorelai alerts him, and he quickly takes his hands away from it, and puts them on her shoulders instead. 

"You..."

Lorelai nods nervously, "Me..."

"You're..."

"Yes, Luke, I am."

"Baby?"

She shushes him, pulling his arm as she leads him upstairs and into an empty room. "I know, this is a lot to spring on you midday, and I swear I was going to tell you tonight over dinner, or something, but after what you said, I was confused, because I'm the only person who knows about me being pregnant, except, now you know, but I digress," she pauses to catch her breath, "I just want to know how you feel about this...and you don't need to answer now, honestly, I can wait until you process this, but I just want you to be okay with it and not mad or something, because I'm not mad about it. I thought it wasn't the right time initially, but maybe it would never be the right time--"

He leans forward, capturing her lips into a kiss, stopping her rambling. Luke cups her face in his hands, and he feels her body relax. When he finally pulls away, he notices her glossy eyes. 

"You're pregnant."

"I thought we went through that already," she says, and he kisses her again. "So...you're good...with this?"

He simply nods, a smile appearing across his face, "Yes."

"Are you freaked out?"

"Scared as hell, but I'm good. I'm very good," he manages to string together, still holding Lorelai close.

She gives him a soft smile, "You probably have a million questions, and I will happily answer them tonight. I haven't been to a doctor yet, however the three positive tests I took are a pretty good indication," she admits, "Stay over tonight, would you?"

"Of course I will. When did this, uh, happen...?"

Lorelai bites her lip, "Magazine party."

He thinks back, "Oh. _Ohhhhhh._ "

She laughs, " _Ohhhhh_ is right, mister."

Luke presses a kiss to her forehead, his hands still holding her around her waist, "Alright, well, I'm going to fix your banister and head back to the diner, and try not to pass out."

"Sorry to give you a heart attack this early. You probably haven't even had your daily run-in with Taylor or Kirk yet."

He smirks, shaking his head, "It's alright. I'm glad you told me."

"Me too." 

"I love you, Lorelai."

She smiles, squeezing his hand, before going back to her desk, "I love you, too."


	4. He’s All In, She’s Dropping Out

Lorelai found herself growing increasingly nervous as it got closer to the time Luke would be arriving at her house. She changed her outfit five times since she'd been home, rearranged the throw pillows on the couch over and over, and placed her magazines in various orders on her coffee table--should US Weekly's Angelina and Brad go on top of People's Lindsay Lohan cover story? 

She groans, getting upset at herself for acting so crazy. It was just Luke. They were still the same people they were before she got pregnant. Lorelai continues talking herself down until the doorbell rings. She jumps up from the couch, immediately going to the door. Luke was standing with one hand awkwardly shoved in his jean pocket, a nervous smile plastered across his face, "Hey!" he says, a bit overexuberant. 

Lorelai steps aside so he can walk into the house, "Welcome," she says nervously, leaning in to peck a quick kiss on his lips. He runs his hand along her lower back, before following her into the kitchen, "I brought food--I figured, you know, we gotta eat, and Lord knows you only have canned frosting in your fridge...so, burgers okay?"

She nods, "Yes! Yeah, burgers are great. So great."

There's a long uncomfortable silence, before Lorelai flings open the fridge, "You wanna beer? I'm obviously gonna have to pass on it, but _you_ my friend are certainly welcome to all the beer," she laughs, meeting Luke's gaze. 

"I'm good. Thanks, though."

"No problem."

Another long, drawn out silence. Lorelai finally sighs, and plops down in a dining room chair, "Okay, Luke. I'm just going to come out with it, this is bad, even for us."

He nods, plating burgers and fries for both him and Lorelai, "I know. I just don't really know what to say..."

Lorelai leans forward on her elbows, "Oh, I know, I was feeling the same way. You should have seen how many ways I arranged my magazines and throw pillows before you showed up," she laughs, taking a deep breath, "But Luke, we're still the same people. You know? Just because I'm...having a baby, doesn't mean we have to act all _When Harry Met Sally_ with each other."

He hands Lorelai her plate and she takes his hand, pulling him with her into the living room. "I think I'm still trying to process everything, Lorelai. I mean, this was the last thing I was expecting to hear from you today, and I thought when it did happen, it'd be later down the road, after we'd have planned it."

Lorelai curls her legs under herself and gives him a questioning glance, "When it did happen? You...you did want it to happen?"

"Well, yeah. I guess, the more time I spent with you, the more I thought about our future, and having kids--or one kid, we don't have to have more, seemed pretty appealing," he admits shyly, his face turning slightly red.

"Ahhhh, so you've wanted to procreate with me for a while, huh?" she smirks, elbowing him in the side, "But seriously, Luke, why didn't you tell me this before? It would've saved me a lot of worrying."

He shrugs, "I don't know. I wanted to bring it up when the time was right, I guess," he pauses, "I do have something to tell you. I bought a house--the Twickham house? I bought it...for us."

She puts her burger down abruptly, "Uh, excuse me? You--bought a house?"

"Yeah, I bought a house. I don't have it anymore, but I could get it back, now that we're _actually_ having a kid, but, I swear I had no idea about the baby when I first started looking into it. I thought it would be the next step for us, and listen, I know it's a big house and we don't have to fill it with kids, we could fill it with plants! Or furniture! But, I hate shopping, so, I think for me, kids would be easier."

Lorelai sits next to him, in complete shock that he not only bought them a house, but he bought a house with the intention of having a family with her. _Luke._ The man whom a mere few weeks ago, she'd have bet money on completely freaking out over becoming a father. 

Luke is waiting for her to respond, but she continues to simply sit there, staring at him in disbelief. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

She shakes her head, a small chuckle escaping her lips, "I don't know...I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone or something."

"Because...?"

"Because this is totally and completely throwing me for a curveball! Do you understand how scared I was when I realized that I might be pregnant?! We've _never_ even talked about kids, or a house, and having a family before! All you ever talked about was how you didn't like kids and that they were sticky--do you not recall the 'jam hands' rant at all?! So excuse me for being a little bit shocked."

"Lorelai, I _get_ that it seems insane coming out of my mouth, okay? But do you really think I would have been mad about you being pregnant? Do you really think I'm that guy? Because if you do, you clearly don't know me at all," he says, a hint of genuine hurt running through his tone.

“Luke,” she says quietly, wrapping her arms around his left arm. “I didn’t mean it like that. I know you’re not that guy. It’s just, the last time I told someone they were going to be a dad, it didn’t go well. Chris bolted, as much as he tries to pretend he didn’t, he did. So, that’s why I was scared. I kept reliving 16-year-old Lorelai telling her boyfriend and parents she was pregnant. I promise, Luke, I don’t think you’re him, okay?”

He rests his hand on her knee, brushing it gently, “I’m not going to bolt. I told you, I’m all in. And this is part of the all in.” 

“I believe you, I really do. I know you're going to be an amazing dad to this kid,” she pauses, running a hand through his hair, "It's okay to be freaked out though, Luke. You don't have to pretend to be entirely calm, cool, and collected."

Luke finally meets her gaze, “I’m not freaked out, _freaked out_ about you being pregnant, I’m just kind of _overwhelmed_ about what happens after the kid is...out here.”

“Luke. It is okay to be overwhelmed. You aren’t going to hurt my feelings by being honest. I’m feeling overwhelmed too. We’ve been completely thrown for a loop here. And being a parent is hard, but it’s totally worth it. Little Rory was so fun to raise,” she reassures him. 

He smiles thinking about Rory being the chipper little kid who bounced into his diner all those years ago. The tension in his body seems to subside after a few moments, “Enough about me. How are you doing?”

Lorelai found herself curling into Luke’s side, as she caressed his knee absentmindedly, “Oh, I’m as good as one could be while growing a human being,” she says before getting serious, “I’m nervous. I haven’t done this in nearly 21 years, and I just want everything to be okay.” 

Luke was so used to Lorelai being the confident and self-assured one, that he didn’t even think about her being nervous to carry their baby. Of course she had every right to be. He didn’t even want to think about something going wrong. 

“It will be. Rory is direct evidence that things can go more than okay,” he says, running his hand along her arm. 

She smiles, wrapping an arm around his torso, “I like mushy, vulnerable Luke,” she sing-songs causing Luke to roll his eyes. “I have to warn you my friend, I am one hormonal mess when I’m with child.” 

“Excellent.”

“And laboring Lorelai is the highest level of Lorelai’s you do not want to hang out with. Throwing ice chips and incessant cursing are two of her favorite pastimes...” 

“I’ll bring my shield.”

Lorelai grins, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “You’re alright burger boy.”

He smirks, kissing her again, “I try my best.”

“I guess this would also be a good time to officially invite you to my very first doctor’s appointment, this Friday at 1 o’clock. I know you hate doctors and hospitals, so you don’t have to come, I just thought I’d put the offer on the table—“

“I’ll be there.”

“Really? You’ll brave the needles and probes for me?”

He grimaces, “As long as I’m not getting needled or probed, I will be there.” 

“Good,” she smiles, “Because I do want you there, like really, really want you there. It’s the most incredible thing in the world when you see that little baby on the monitor for the first time and hear the heartbeat... God, it’s the best, coolest sound in the entire world,” Lorelai gushes, yawning as she rests her head on Luke’s shoulder.

Luke allows his gaze to fall down to Lorelai’s stomach. He had a hard time thinking about the fact that right now, there was an actual baby growing inside of her. His baby. _Their_ baby. A part of him thought he’d never be a father, that it just wasn’t in the cards for him. But Lorelai changed everything. Even before he knew this baby existed, he could picture having a son or a daughter, them being equal parts him and Lorelai.

"Can't wait," he says, wrapping his arm around her body.

She smiles, sighing contently, "I'm glad. I want pie."

A short laugh spills out of Luke--of course she's thinking about food in the middle of a serious conversation. "Lucky for you, I brought pie."

"Get out of here! I could kiss you--and I think I will," she says, pressing a kiss to his lips.

He grins, standing up from the couch, "Peach okay?"

"Peach is perfect! And I expect double, since I'm eating for two now," she demands, leaning over the side of the couch. 

Luke groans, "You can't use that as an excuse to eat even more crap than you normally do."

Lorelai scoffs in shock, "Luuuuuke that's not fair!"

"It is fair."

"It's not fair! You don't know what it's like to have human being inside you, sucking all the life out of you, demanding pie! Do you want me to wither away to nothing?!" she rants.

He sighs loudly, adjusting his baseball cap, "Fine. You can have double."

"Yay!"

"This is not going to work on me every time, Lorelai. You have to start eating vegetables and fruit--and no more coffee!"

She scowls, "Aghh! You're no fun," she pauses, "Uh, Luke? Don't tell anyone yet. I want to tell Rory first and you know, go to the doctor and make sure everything's alright."

"Sure thing. Although, in this crazy town full of gossips and snoops, they'll have it all figured out by the morning..."

/

"Sorry sorry sorry! The inn was swamped," Lorelai apologizes, as she sits down at the table Rory was already occupying at Weston's Bakery. "How'd your last final go?"

"It went well," Rory replies, definitely something else on her mind, "I'm almost finished packing."

Lorelai smiles, "It's going to be nice to have you home for a while."

"I'm glad you feel that way."

"Yeah, the place hasn't had a decent dusting since you left," she smirks, pausing momentarily to collect herself, "I do have news, kid."

Rory raises her brows in surprise, "You do? I also have something to tell you..."

Lorelai instantly becomes nervous, judging by her daughter's tone. "Uh, okay. Can I go first, or do you want to go?"

"You can go."

"Alright," Lorelai says, wringing her hands in her lap, "Do you remember that thing I called you about when Sookie was in labor with Martha?"

Rory tries thinking back, "The cream puff for hands dream...?"

"No, no--not that, I was referring to my _other_ little scare," Lorelai says nervously. 

She finally realizes what her mother is referring to, "Oh! Ohhhh. Mom, are you...?"

"I am."

Rory searches for the words, completely thrown by the news. She thought the crisis had passed already, so hearing this was pretty shocking, "Wow! Oh my god, Mom, are you sure? Does Luke know?"

"Yes, I am sure, the peeing on the stick was the easy part. I told Luke last night, and he was surprisingly okay with it. Like really okay. He's definitely overwhelmed, but, I really think it's going to work, Rory. I think Luke's the one."

"Wow, so much has changed. Who would've thought the guy you were looking for was right in front of you all along. I'm really happy for you guys," Rory says, reaching over to grab her hand.

Lorelai can feel herself getting a bit misty eyed, and smiles, "Thanks, Sweets. What, uh, what was your big news?"

Rory's face instantly falls, "Oh, well, I have decided that I'm not going back to Yale next year."

Lorelai doesn't think she heard her daughter right. There was no way Rory wasn't going back to school, her beloved Yale. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly."

"I'm not going back to Yale next year."

This was completely wrong coming out of Rory's mouth. Rory loves school, she loves to learn, this was bizarre, "But why?"

Rory shrugs, "Because I'm not sure it's the right place for me. And I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with my life."

Lorelai leans forward, one hand resting on her temple, "Since when are you not sure what you're going to do with your life? You've known what you wanted to do with your life since you were three. Be a journalist."

"Maybe not."

"Okay, this is about what Mitchum Huntzberger said, isn't it?"

"No! It's not--"

"Rory, hon, I know what he said hurt you, and that shook you up and you lost your confidence, but that was just one man's opinion. You can't be this hard on yourself," Lorelai tries to reason with her.

"It has nothing to do with what he said!" Rory says defensively, "And Mitchum happens to be the top newspaper guy in the whole country."

"So what?"

"So if you're going to get _one_ man's opinion, he's the one man you get!"

Lorelai laughs in disbelief, running her hands through her hair, "You're not thinking. This is the man who doesn't want you to marry Logan--"

"That wasn't him! It was Logan's mother and grandfather," Rory protests.

"Why are you so willing to believe this guy?"

Rory looks away, "Logan agrees with him."

"Really? He said that? He told you he agrees with his father? Because if that's so, he's a fantastic boyfriend. Really, quite the catch," Lorelai says with disdain.

"No, he didn't say it. I could just tell," Rory admits, "He ranted about his father being a jerk, and speaking his mind but he never said that he was wrong."

Lorelai shakes her head, trying to collect her thoughts, "You are making such a big mistake, Rory."

"No I'm not!" Rory shouts, "This is normal! College kids take breaks like this all the time. You didn't go to college, so you don't understand."

Lorelai leans back in her chair, clearly hurt by her daughter's words, "No, I didn't go to college. I wasn't lucky enough to go to college."

Rory knows she stepped too far, but she doesn't care, "Well, it is normal."

"If you leave Yale now, you'll never go back. You'll loose momentum."

"Momentum towards _what?!_ All I've been doing is working toward being a journalist! I'm not going to be a journalist, so what momentum am I losing exactly?"

It's bad enough to be having this argument with her daughter at all, let alone while pregnancy hormones surged through her body, making her a thousand times more irritable and emotional. "So what's the great master plan, then, huh? You're going to move back home, live in your room, work part-time at the bookstore? Forget it. Not an option."

Rory shrugs, leaning back in her seat, "I'll figure it out."

Lorelai is totally and completely done with the conversation. Clearly, no amount of reasoning from her was going to make Rory think about this sensibly. The only thing that might have a bigger impact is telling the elder Gilmore's about Rory's ridiculous epiphany, "I'm not hungry."

"Look, I'm not going back. I just wanted you to know."

Lorelai grabs her purse off the table, "Message sent," she says coolly, turning on her heel.


	5. Doctored and Gilmore-ed

It was her least favorite door in the world. She stood on the front step, mentally preparing herself to go inside and team up with her parents to get Rory back to Yale. Lorelai was desperate for a solution, hoping they could coerce their granddaughter back on the right track. 

She rings the doorbell and is let in by Davita, making her way into the living room where her parents were sitting, "Hey, sorry to interrupt your breakfast."

Emily stares in confusion, "Lorelai? What's going on?"

"I need to talk to you guys about something."

Richard puts the paper he was reading aside, "Is everything alright?"

"Well--"

"Sit down, Lorelai. Davita! Bring a cup of coffee for my daughter!" Emily shouts.

Lorelai shakes her head, "No, no coffee. I'm fine, thank you."

Emily eyes her suspiciously and Richard sighs, "I'll have to call the office if this is going to take awhile."

"No, dad. It won't. I just really your help. Rory's quitting Yale," Lorelai admits nervously. 

Both of the Gilmore's stare at her in disbelief, "You can't be serious," Richard finally says.

"Why would you joke about something like that!?" Emily berates, "Rory would never quit Yale! This must be one of your bits. You scare us with something horrible, like Rory's quitting college, and then after we have heart attacks, you tell us you were just kidding."

Lorelai sighs in irritation, "Why would I joke about this? For your information, Rory was humiliated during her internship, by Mitchum Huntzberger, after he told her she doesn't have what it takes to be a journalist. And she believes this so wholeheartedly, she's ready to throw everything away that she's worked for."

"What? Now that can't be true."

"Yes, Dad, it _is_ true. I know you guys love Logan and the Huntzberger's and you already have the wedding invitations printed and ready to go, but these are not good people. Ever since Rory has gotten involved with them, things have been bad. She's up and she's down and she should be stronger than this, I know, but she's young and she's Rory and she's come so far, she's worked so hard--I just don't want her to lose this," Lorelai says, near tears.

Richard and Emily look at each other, the two of them having some kind of silent conversation, "What do you want us to do?" Richard asks. 

"Well, I've already told her that coming home and bumming around Stars Hollow is not an option. I was thinking during Friday night dinner the three of us can team up and talk some sense back into her. But, I really need the two of you to back me up on this."

Emily scoffs, "Well of course we'll back you up! This is not happening!"

"Thank you," Lorelai breathes, "Really, I appreciate it. I should get going. I'll see you both on Friday."

/

"Luke, you don't have to look up at the ceiling. All you're going to see out here is a bunch of pregnant ladies and their equally-as-freaked-out-as-you-are partners."

He diverts his eyes from the ceiling tile to Lorelai, "Sorry."

She smiles, "Aren't you excited?! Your first ever baby appointment! This is like having front row seats to see the Red Sox!" 

Luke laughs, shaking his head, "Lorelai, this is nothing like having front row seats to see the Red Sox."

She rolls her eyes, "Uh, okay, sorry I tried to get you more enthused by throwing a sports reference in there."

"I am enthused."

She grins, reaching out to give his hand a squeeze before turning her attention back to the waiting area. Lorelai watched as a woman nearing the end of her pregnancy was called, her partner offering his hand to help her up. She looks down at her own midsection. Not much had changed, other than some very slight bloating. It was hard to picture herself with a giant stomach again. Lorelai turns her attention back to Luke, tapping his shoulder.

“Will you still think I’m sexy when I look like that?”

Luke gives her one of his classic ‘Lorelai-you’re-being-ridiculous’ looks, “I always think you’re sexy, Lorelai.”

“Yeah, but even when I have my big fat stomach?”

“You’ll be beautiful.”

She gives him a little smile, “Hmmmm. I kind of like having you around.” 

A nurse pops her head around the corner, calling Lorelai’s name. She and Luke follow her down the hall to an examination room. After some routine questions, and a blood draw—to which Luke looked away for, Lorelai was ready to see her doctor. 

“You’ll love Dr. Julie. She’s been my OBGYN ever since Rory.”

Julie Price was a petite red-head, in her late fifties. She breezes into the room with a huge smile on her face. “Lorelai Gilmore! I just about fell over when my nurse told me about this appointment!” 

“ _You_ just about fell over? How do you think I felt when the stick showed me double lines?” Lorelai quips, standing up to hug the woman.

“I am so glad to see you again. And this must be your handsome guy,” Dr. Price says extending her hand to Luke who immediately turns bright red, “Luke Danes, Dr. Price. It’s great to meet you.” 

“I did good, didn’t I?” Lorelai says, waggling her brows suggestively. 

Dr. Price laughs fondly, “You sure did, my dear. Now, first thing’s first, congratulations are most definitely in order, because the blood draw confirmed that you are pregnant.” 

Lorelai lays back on the exam table, summoning Luke to take a seat on the stool next to her, “Well, that’s a relief, otherwise the bloating, exhaustion and nausea would be all in vain.” 

"How's the morning sickness been?"

Lorelai shakes her hand back and forth, "Eh, so-so. I've mostly just been a little nauseous every so often."

"Glad to hear it hasn't been giving you too much trouble," Dr. Price got Lorelai all set up for an ultrasound, "It's too early to use a doppler, so we'll have to do a vaginal ultrasound."

Luke feels pretty out of his element and shifts on the stool awkwardly. Lorelai reaches up to place a hand on his shoulder, "Luke. Dr. Julie's going to use the v-word a lot over the next nine months, so you better get used to it." 

He blushes, but rolls his eyes at his girlfriend, "I'm fine with the use of...the v-word."

Dr. Price stifles laughter and gets Lorelai all set up for her ultrasound. "Okay, you'll have to bear with me for a second." Luke feels Lorelai's hand tense up in his and she makes an uncomfortable face. "You doing okay, hon?" Dr. Price asks her. 

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she breathes out, exhaling after Dr. Price gets the instrument placed correctly. A few moments later she points at the screen, "There's your baby."

Lorelai lets out a gasp, while Luke struggles to make anything out on the screen, but he’s just thrilled that Dr. Price was able to show them. “Luke! That’s—that’s our baby,” she sighs, completely overwhelmed with emotions. Luke kisses her hand, and strokes her hair, “It sure is.” 

“Alright, it might be too early to pick up the heartbeat, but let’s try to give you two a little bit of sound.”

The doctor struggles to find the heartbeat for a minute, and Luke feels his palms start to sweat. Suddenly, a fast, whooshing noise echoes through the room, making Lorelai tear up immediately. "Oh, Luke..." she breathes. 

“This little one is already impressing us. I’d say based on everything you've told me, you’re almost 6 weeks along, so a pretty solid estimate of your due date is January 4th. A little New Years baby,” Dr. Price says with a grin.

Luke can’t speak. He can’t move. He can’t do anything but stare at the screen. It was so real now. His baby had a heartbeat. _Their_ baby was real, and growing inside of the most beautiful woman in the world. He could hear Lorelai sniffling, and he finally breaks his gaze from the screen and looks down at her. She reaches up with one hand and wipes his cheek with her thumb--Luke didn't even realize he'd had tears in his eyes. "That's our baby, Luke."

He kisses her gently, "And they're perfect."

Dr. Price takes in the scene in front of her, happy that Lorelai had someone special to share this moment with this time around. "Everything looks great so far. I'll give you two some time. Lorelai, we'll schedule your next appointment up front when you're done in here," she pauses, as Lorelai takes her eyes off Luke and nods, "And congratulations, again. I'm very happy for you both."

"Thank you, Doctor," Luke says, his focus still on Lorelai. Dr. Price exits the room and Luke strokes Lorelai's stomach, "You were right you know." 

She gives him a puzzled look, "What?"

"This _was_ like having front row seats to a Red Sox game. I was sweating, crying, my pulse was racing--but, there was something different about it," he says, a grin spreading across his face.

Lorelai smirks, "See! I told you!" She pecks a kiss to his lips, "What was different?"

"It was even better."

/

Lorelai went to Friday night dinner with a sense of ease for the first time in, well, ever. Her doctor's appointment had her feeling a new wave of excitement and love for the little bean growing inside of her. Luke had been nothing short of impressive, putting aside his aversion to hospitals to give her all the support and love she needed. Now all she needed to do was convince Rory to go back to Yale next fall, and things would be really looking up. Her parents were even on the same page as her for once. There was no way this night was going to head south. 

She decided to get to the Gilmore mansion earlier than normal, so the three of them could figure out the best way to get through to Rory. After Davita let her in, she wanders through to the living room. "Oh, hey! I thought I'd come a little early so we could strategize."

Both her parents wore uneasy expressions on their faces, to which Lorelai picked up on immediately. Richard took off his glasses and sighed, "Sit down, Lorelai."

She slowly drops to the couch, "Okay...uh, Rory should be here pretty soon, so--"

"Your mother and I have been talking about the situation. We have discussed the matter thoroughly, and we have come to a conclusion," he pauses, looking at Emily for reassurance, "Rory will be taking some time off from Yale. She will be moving into the pool house here with us. We will find her some sort of suitable job through one of our friends, and then after a suitable amount of time has passed, we will revisit the subject of her returning to school."

Lorelai stares blankly at them, unable to process what her father just said to her. They _agreed_ to help her. They agreed to help her and now they've completely betrayed her. She suddenly stands up, walking into the dining room. 

Emily watches her with confusion, "Where are you going?"

"I was sitting right _here_. I came in. I sat right here and we had the conversation, right? I mean, I'm not imagining it, right?"

Emily sighs, "Lorelai--"

"You were eating grapefruit and dad was reading the paper--"

Richard crosses his arms over his chest, "Lorelai--"

She's frantic in her explaining at this point, "Dad had to go, so I said I'd make it quick, and we sat _here_ and we talked about how we were going to stick _together_ and convince Rory to go back to school! That did happen, right?! I mean, I know my brain has been a little scattered lately, but I know I'm not completely whacko."

"Lorelai, there were other things to consider," Richard explains.

Lorelai stares at the ground, so angry with them that she doesn't even want to look at them. Finally she snaps her head up, "You said you would back me on this! You said you weren't going to let this happen!"

"Rory is young. And I'm sure, once she's had some time and some space she will change her mind. But for now, this is what she wants to do. And we need to respect that."

Lorelai is fuming, yet feels the emotions bubble up too quickly to fully process. Damn hormones. "Have you even talked to Rory about this?" her voice waivers through her anger, "Your _great_ plan, does she even know about it?!"

Richard huffs in annoyance, "Yes! She's fine with the arrangement."

"Oh, so you just went to her. Behind my back."

"Lorelai, she came to me! She told me what she wanted in her own words!"

She laughs curtly, "Wow, so that does occasionally work with you, huh?"

Emily groans loudly, "This makes sense. We don't want her to move in with Logan, do we? And since you don't want Rory to move back home to Stars Hollow it just makes sense that she moves in here with us!"

"I do not understa--"

"To watch her, Lorelai. To keep her from getting into trouble. We can get her back on track! You'll understand that when you calm down!"

Lorelai was already on her way out, but she stops and turns back around abruptly, "No, what I don't understand is why I was stupid enough to trust you two in the first place. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson after thirty-seven years, but I guess I am just one big naïve idiot." Both of the elder Gilmore's stare at her in shock, unable to form words. She turns around one more time, "Oh, and by the way--I'm pregnant. Just thought you should know that I've once again managed to be irresponsible and a total embarrassment to you. I figured that would be the cherry on top of this truly delightful evening with you both."

She walks out, slamming the door behind her before they can say a word. Lorelai notices the light on in the pool house and she walks over, stopping as she sees Rory unpacking her things through the window. Tears cover both her cheeks when Rory finally notices her standing there. Lorelai shakes her head and Rory just gives her a shrug. Lorelai runs a hand through her hair and walks off to the Jeep, breaking down as soon as she shuts the door.

/

By the time Lorelai made it back to Stars Hollow, Luke was in the process of closing the dinner. She opens the door, stepping inside quickly. The tears started up again once she drove into Stars Hollow, and she wipes at her eyes as Luke starts panicking, "Lorelai? Oh my god--are you okay? Is it the baby?"

She shakes her head, "Rory dropped out of Yale," she cries.

Luke wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly, a hand stroking her hair, "What?!"

Lorelai sniffles, using both hands to wipe her face, "She dropped out of Yale and moved back in with my parents, who I went to for help, and they stabbed me in the back. Everything we worked for. All these years. Her whole future. She was supposed to have more than me. She was supposed to have everything. That was the plan. We _had_ a plan."

Luke leans against the counter, one hand still rubbing Lorelai's lower back, "Okay, I'm sorry, but I gotta jump in here. Uh, I know, you always have everything handled, but I can help--we can do this together. First off, we call Yale and tell them something like, Rory had a chemical imbalance and she was mentally out of her mind when she told them she was dropping out. And then we get her out of your parents house whatever way we can. We lock her up in her room with you, because you can talk anybody into anything. And if worse comes to worst, we will drive her to school every day and we will follow her to class and camp out there to make sure she goes! I'll take morning classes and you can take afternoon classes--or the other way around if that works out better for your schedule. And I know there's a few kinks to work out, and the kidnapping might be problematic, but either way we will make sure she doesn't quit school. We will do this together, Lorelai. Because this was her dream. I am not going to let this happen."

Lorelai isn't crying anymore, instead she's staring at Luke with more love than she's ever looked at another human being--other than Rory of course. Luke loved Rory. In his own very Luke way, he proclaimed he was willing to do _anything_ to get her back on track. Because she was _his_ kid. Lorelai always knew Luke was the father Rory never had. Luke was the one to come to Rory's high school graduation. Luke was the one who helped with the car problems, and the crazy boys, and was the first to make Rory her favorite foods when she was sick. And Luke was going to be the best dad to their baby too. Lorelai ran her hand over her still flat stomach tenderly. 

"Luke, I think we should get married."


	6. Tough Love, Baby

_"Luke, I think we should get married."_

Her words seem to ring through the diner, even though she's speaking softly. He's certain his heart will beat out of his chest if he doesn't say something soon. She tilts her head, waiting for his response, "Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have brought it up--"

"Okay."

Lorelai stares at him blankly, "Okay? As in I shouldn't have brought it up?"

"No. Okay, as in, okay I think we should," he finally answers, his voice a bit shaky, "I need to do this right."

He darts off, heading upstairs, leaving Lorelai to watch him go in amusement. Was he bringing champagne? Beer? Did he want to pop bottles to celebrate, while she sipped on some sparkling water? Lorelai finally gets out of her chair and walks toward the stairs to his apartment, "Luke?"

A moment later he emerges, coming back down the stairs, a nervous smile plastered across his face. He stops in front of her, a small square object tucked inside his grasp. "I've never considered giving this to anyone else. I'll admit, it crossed my mind with Nicole, but something always told me this belongs to you, and you alone, so I never did." He reveals the velvet box, flipping it open to show her a gorgeous vintage engagement ring, "This was my mother's ring. I told Liz she should take it, because I'd never have a use for it, but she wanted me to hang onto it, fully believing the right woman would come along one day. From the minute I met you Lorelai, I knew I'd be proposing to you someday with this ring. Yes, we've had an interesting time getting here, and there were plenty of moments I thought I'd ruined everything by not telling you how I really felt about you sooner. I don't want anymore Rachel's, or Max's, or Nicole's or Christopher's to walk in. I don't want to wait any longer. And I don't _ever_ want you to think that I'm marrying you just because of the baby--yes, the baby may have forced us to think about our relationship more seriously, and that's probably a good thing--because God knows how long it would have taken our stubborn asses to get it together," he pauses, seeing the grin appear on her face, beneath the streaks of happy tears on her cheeks, "I just want to be with you, Lorelai. I want you to be my wife." Luke takes one of her hands in his as he slowly drops to the ground on one knee, "Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, will you marry me?"

She wants to come up with one of her signature witty answers for him, but she can't. Lorelai didn't realize the amount of tears she'd manage to produce during his heartfelt proposal, until she feels them dripping down onto her chest. She quickly wipes both sides of her face, nodding her head, "Yes. Yes! Yes! Yes!" Lorelai leans down to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he starts to stand. Luke pulls her in close and she jumps up, wrapping her legs around his torso, neither of them breaking apart their lips. When they finally do, Lorelai runs her thumb across his cheek, "You are quite the romantic when you want to be, Burger Boy."

"Well, you make it kind of easy," he admits, kissing her again. She runs her left hand across the back of his neck, pausing after she makes a realization. "Can I have my very pretty, sparkly jewelry now?"

Luke chuckles, and puts her down in front of him, taking her left hand and slipping the ring onto her finger. Lorelai's mouth drops open, a gasp escaping her lips, "Luke. It's a perfect fit," she continues to stare at it, the diamond setting glinting as it caught the light, "It's so beautiful. I love it."

He smiles brightly, thrilled that she loved the ring that meant so much to him, "I love you, Lorelai."

She wraps her arms around him, pulling herself into his chest, "I love you, too. Thank you for waiting for me."

"Thank _you_ for waiting for _me_ ," he emphasizes, kissing her forehead when she looks up at him. She sighs, "Too bad we can't crack open a bottle to celebrate."

"Are you sure you want to celebrate...now? I mean, a minute ago when you came in here..."

"No, Luke, I just want to be happy right now, okay?" she says, her eyes pleading. 

He wraps his arm around her waist, leading her out of the diner, "Let's go."

"Go where? Funkytown?"

"Later," he says with a smirk, "Doose's. Let's get some sparkling juice."

Lorelai grins and takes his hand, now dragging him along with excitement, "Oooo! Okay!"

They run down main street, giddy like a couple of teenagers. Taylor was just locking the front door as they approached. "No! No! Taylor you need to let us in!" Lorelai pleads.

Taylor rolls his eyes, "Lorelai, we have operating hours for a reason. I'll open again, tomorrow morning, six sharp."

Lorelai sighs loudly, "Okay, Taylor listen. You're going to be the first one to hear the big news."

"Do I have to hear it now? I have so many things to do..."

"Luke and I are engaged!" she announces, shoving her hand in Taylor's face, to show him the ring. Luke smiles proudly, putting his arm over her shoulder.

Taylor looks between the two of them in shock, "You are? Well, what do you know! I thought there was a better chance of all four of the Beatles getting back together than you two ever coming down enough to get engaged."

"Can you just open the damn store!?" Luke barks.

"What do you need in the store?"

"We need something to toast with! Duh," Lorelai says, putting her hand on the doorknob, to really let him know she wasn't going to be shooed away. 

Taylor looks down at her hand on the doorknob and sighs, "Something alcoholic?"

Lorelai's about to say yes, but stops herself mid answer, "No..."

"Well, then why on earth can't you just go home and toast with some orange juice? Or water?"

"I want sparkling juice!" Lorelai demands, jiggling the doorknob, to attempt to get Taylor to put his key in the door.

He folds his arms over his chest, "If you aren't going to buy alcohol, what's the point of me opening the door for something you already have at home--"

"Because pregnant women can't have alcohol Taylor!" Luke shouts at him, causing Lorelai to snap her head back to look at him in shock. Taylor looks at both of them, equally as shocked, "Lorelai...you're...?"

"Yes, Taylor. I'm having his baby. I'm knocked up. With child. A bun in the oven! Now, open this door before I let my wild hormones take over and I shove your head through the glass to get in!"

He quickly unlocks the door letting the couple in to get their sparkling juice. Luke grabs one off the shelf, slapping a $5 on the counter before leading his happy bride-to-be out of the market, "Goodnight Taylor!"

The older man just watches the two of them rush down the sidewalk, still trying to process the news, while Lorelai laughed about something and Luke leaned over to kiss her cheek. A couple of happy and in-love kids, they were indeed.

/

The next morning, Lorelai rolls over, rubbing her upset stomach gently. She waits a moment to see if the nauseous wave will pass, but it doesn't. She darts out of bed, and heads into the bathroom, kneeling over the toilet bowl and heaving loudly. Luke had woken up the minute she jumped over him to get to the bathroom, so he went in shortly after, holding her hair back with one hand while rubbing her lower back with the other. "It's okay," he says softly, not sure what else to say or do for her.

Lorelai groans, "I'm sorry, Luke. I know this is gross--"

"Ssshhh, it's okay, Lorelai. It happens," he reassures her, still rubbing her back. 

"Thanks," she whimpers, "I think I'm done."

Luke helps her up, pressing a kiss against her forehead, "You want me to get you something? Toast, maybe?"

She nods, a small smile on her face, "Yeah, that'd be good. And some water."

He exits the bathroom and she brushes her teeth, thinking about how nice it was to have someone there to take care of her. When she was expecting Rory, Christopher wasn't there to bring her toast and rub her back. _Rory._ She feels her emotions start to bubble up at the thought of her daughter. In a normal world, she'd have gone right to Rory to tell her about her engagement, and the beautiful words Luke spoke to her. The two of them would have talked and looked at wedding dresses all night. When Luke comes back with her toast and water, he finds Lorelai is sitting on the bed, sniffling. 

"Lorelai?"

"I'm just thinking about Rory," she cries, her head in her hands. 

Luke sets down the plate and glass and sits next to her, pulling her into his chest, "It's going to be okay. We are going to take care of this. Rory is going to come back around, I know she will."

"I hope so," she says, her voice still a little shaky, "Thank you, Luke. Just, for everything."

He kisses her forehead, handing her the plate, "I'm here to take care of you, Lorelai."

She smiles, biting into the toast. A moment later she and Luke hear a loud, screeching voice float through their partially opened window. Lorelai goes to the window, pushing it open the rest of the way to find the short, blonde woman, still clad in her pajamas, standing below her. "Lorelai! Oh my God! I heard the news and I bolted over here like Seabiscuit!"

Luke joins her at the window, wrapping his arm around Lorelai's waist, "Well, that was fast."

"Oh! And there he is! I can't believe it! You finally did it you dumb son-of-a-bitch!" Babette squeals, "You finally got in there and closed the deal! And in more ways than one!"

Lorelai grins, "He sure did! I'll have to show you my finger bling later." 

"I just can't believe you kids are getting married _and_ having a baby! Our very own Luke Danes is gonna be a daddy! How are you feeling ya big stud?"

Luke snorts, "Oh, pretty stud-ly."

"Well, I'll let you kids get back to whatever you were doing up there. Sorry if I interrupted some good ol' lovin'!" Babette shouts, laughing wildly.

"Oh, no, that was all last night," Lorelai replies, getting a stern look from Luke, "Bye, Babette! Thanks!"

Her neighbor waves, and then turns back around, "Patty and Gypsy and I are already gonna start planning your shower, doll! And you'll get two of em' 'cause of the wedding and the baby!" 

Lorelai shuts the window, turning to Luke with a wide grin on her face, "You hear that? Because you knocked me up and gave me a ring, I get _two_ parties!"

"Oh goody," he says, handing her the water glass, "I guess I really screwed up the whole 'let's not tell anyone about the baby for a while' plan. Sorry about that."

Lorelai shrugs, "It's okay. I mean, it makes me a little nervous that everyone knows so soon, but maybe it's a good thing. Now I'll get doted on for even longer!"

Luke snorts, taking the empty glass from her, "Your mind is an interesting place."

"Yes, it is. Now, I need more sleep. I swear, this kid better not have inherited your early morning habits."

/

Lorelai was at the inn, sipping on some super green juice concoction Sookie had whipped up for her the second Lorelai told her the big news. She shrieked like a teenager when she saw the ring, and it escalated into her running around the kitchen screaming 'My Best Friend's Having A Baby!' after Lorelai told her she was pregnant. As much as she despised vegetables, the juice wasn't horrible--Sookie managed to disguise the spinach and kale with apples and kiwis. Her cell phone rings and she notices her father's name appear on the screen.

"Hello," she says coldly.

"Lorelai! Wonderful! How lucky that I caught you! Now, a few things to go over. As you know, Rory's court appearance is Tuesday at three. I've retained the services of Charlie Davenport as her attorney. Well you remember Charlie, Lorelai. He bought you a doll for your birthday once. Well, he's coming over here tomorrow morning to discuss Rory's case. About eight thirty?" Richard says, every word sounding much too bright and cheery after the explosion that occurred yesterday. 

She's irritated over why he's even calling her about this in the first place, "And?"

"Charlie doesn't usually take small cases like this. He's doing our family a great favor," Richard explains.

"What a swell guy," Lorelai replies dryly.

"Well, don't you have any questions?"

"No."

Richard sighs, "I thought you would have more interest in this subject than you seem to."

"Well, I thought you'd have more interest in the subject I announced last night too, so I guess we're even."

"Lorelai--"

"Is there anything else, Dad?! I am very busy this morning!"

He pauses for several moments, "I just wanted to fill you in! Will you be joining us tomorrow morning?"

"For what?"

"For the meeting with Charlie Davenport!" Richard barks, right on the verge of yelling.

"Um... no. Sounds like you have everything handled."

Richard scoffs, " _Fine!_ I will talk to you later!"

"Tell Charlie thanks for the doll!" she says sarcastically, before snapping her cell phone shut. She felt a little bad for being so terrible, but she couldn't help it. They really hurt her yesterday, and it was going to take a lot longer than usual for her to even think about forgiving them.

/

Luke waited in the armchair downstairs, flipping through a magazine. He knew he was bored when he was willing to read one of Lorelai's silly celebrity gossip magazines. He was taking her out for dinner at Sniffy's after Lorelai insisted she had a craving for BBQ ribs. It was also fitting that their first date as an engaged couple be at the place they had their first real date. He'd also be able to tell Buddy and Maisy the good news. 

"How much longer, Lorelai?"

"Oh! Sorry! There is a purse-shoe incident that threatened the entire outcome of this ensemble. It's technical, you wouldn't understand!" she answers from upstairs.

"Technical," Luke scoffs, "I don't want to understand! I want to leave. I'm starving!"

"You're starving?! I'm the one growing a human here, pal! Watch TV," she answers, as if television would somehow appease him. The doorbell rings, and Lorelai calls down shortly after the first ring, "Ooooo! You can answer the door! That'll be fun for you!"

"I'm not bored because I'm six. I'm bored because you told me to pick you up at seven, and it is now eight-thirty!" He opens the door to find Paris on the other side. 

"Who are you?" Paris asks suspiciously.

"I'm L--"

"I need to talk to Lorelai, where is she?" The young girl says, breezing past him into the house. "Where is she? Lorelai!? Where are you?!" Paris shouts.

"Who is that?"

Luke sighs, "It's Paris. She needs to talk to you apparently!"

Lorelai comes down shortly after, "Paris! Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Are you busy? Is this a bad time? Whatever. Rory's quitting Yale! I just went to see her and she told me she's quitting Yale! Do you know about this?!" Paris says, frantically waving her arms around.

"Yes, I did know that," Lorelai says, the mention of Rory and the situation making her mood drop considerably.

"And you aren't going to stop her?! I don't understand, you can pull some of the Super Mom crap that you always do and get her to change her mind!"

Luke nods in agreeance, "Yep!"

"Rory cannot quit Yale! We have to do something!"

Luke nods again, "That's what I've been saying!"

Paris continues her rant, encouraged by Luke's agreeance, "I mean, we should kidnap her! We should kidnap her and drag her back here and tie her up and not let her loose until she listens to reason!"

" _Yes!_ " Luke cheers, and Lorelai pinches the bridge of her nose, "Guys!"

"I _need_ her to be at Yale. Rory has been my only real competition since day one at Chilton. She's the only one who's ever challenged me. She's my pace car. She's my Bjorn Borg. Without her, I'll get lazy. I'll fall apart. I'll have frosted hair and dragon lady nails, I'll achieve nothing! I'll become my mother!" Paris cries, in full meltdown mode.

Lorelai, puts her arms on Paris's shoulders to calm her, "Paris, listen to me. You are a very smart, driven young lady. You can be anything you want. Except a diplomat. You don't need Rory to push you."

"Rory is my only friend. She stays in the room until I'm completely done saying something--I need that!"

"If you need someone to talk to Paris, you can always come to me," Lorelai says, immediately cursing her nurturing hormones, "I'll give you my cell phone number and you can call me whenever you need to."

Paris stares at her questioningly, "Really? Wow. I'm holding you to that. Okay, well, sorry for barging in here. Bye Lorelai, bye guy-I-don't-know."

"It's Luke--" he starts, but Paris is already out the door.

Lorelai sighs, "Wow. And that concludes the floorshow portion of the evening. I'll get my purse and we can go." She walks into the kitchen and Luke follows, needing to ask her a follow up question to Paris's meltdown. 

"So what are you gonna do?"

She stares at him in confusion, "About what?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Lorelai shrugs, "Nothing."

"Lorelai, come on."

"Come on, we need to go," she says quickly, grabbing his arm, but he stays put. "No, we haven't talked about this yet."

"Because there's nothing to talk about!"

"Lorelai, yes there is!"

"This is Rory's decision, Luke! Okay, she knew exactly how I felt about the situation and she chose to ignore me. She _chose_ to move in with my parents and not tell me about it..." Lorelai says, shaking her head in frustration.

"She's a kid," he responds evenly.

"She's not a kid. She is twenty! She's going to be twenty-one in October. She has been living on her own for two years now. She is not a kid!" 

Luke sighs, resting a hand on her shoulder, "Okay, fine. But she's young."

"And young people have to be allowed to make mistakes. I made a much bigger mistake than this when I was younger than her," Lorelai retorts, a hint of anger in her tone. 

Luke steps back to fully take her in, "Oh, so what? Just because you made it on your own, Rory has to also?"

"That was not my point."

"Then what is your point?"

Lorelai huffs loudly, crossing her arms over her chest, "My point is--that I wouldn't have listened to anyone in that situation, even if there was someone to listen to. I had to go through that. And Rory has to go through this. Now, she's smart enough, and she's strong and hopefully she'll figure it out, but I am not going to force my way in. She wants to be on her own? Fine she's on her own. Tough love, baby."

Luke stuffs his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground as he processes this, "And you're okay with this?"

"I am totally okay with this. Now come on, let's go, I want my ribs," she says her voice irritated and sharp. 

He watches her walk out the door, her heels clicking sharply across the porch. There was no point in arguing with her when the wound was still so fresh. He also needed to remind himself that her body was currently full of hormones running rampant, making her even more stubborn than normal. Luke knew this was not what Lorelai wanted. And it couldn't be what Rory wanted either.


	7. A House Is Not A Home

Lorelai arrived home from a late night at the inn, to find a sticky note on her door, which she immediately tears down. She didn't need to read it, she already knew who it was from. Her mother was presumably upset that Lorelai hadn't been home when she'd stopped by to collect the rest of Rory's things. Lorelai went to the inn, sending Michel to her house to deal with Emily. 

She notices little sticky notes all over the house, and each one she tears down and throws on the ground without reading. One is stuck to her answering machine, and against her better judgement she plays her messages. The first one beeped and Emily's voice echoes through her living room. _"Lorelai, it is your mother. I want to thank you for the lovely little surprise you gave me this morning. I was just delighted to be babysat by your surly, barking Frenchman, so I didn't get a desire to steal something! Since I assume you tore up all my notes, I will read them to you. 'Dear Lorelai, I was shocked and saddened by your decision not to be at home when I came by for Rory's things.'"_

Before she knows it, she's packed up the last of Rory's items, throwing them in a laundry basket and duffel bag, and is on her way to Hartford. It's past midnight now, but she could care less that she'll be 'disturbing the peace' at the Gilmore house. If her mother wanted to play this game, she'd play the game. 

Lorelai breaks in with the spare key her parents still had hidden in the ornate lawn deer and marches up the stairs, bursting through Richard and Emily's bedroom door. 

"Oh my god!" Emily shouts, startled by the sudden movement.

"There! That's all her stuff," Lorelai drops the basket on the ground, "You happy?" 

Richard turns on the light, and Emily jumps out of bed, "Lorelai, for Christ's sake! You scared me half to death!"

"Yeah, well, follow through has always been my problem. Oh well!" She drops the duffel bag and folds her arms over her chest, "So! A little inventory check, we got clothes, books, stuffed animals. I even checked the laundry to make sure nothing was waiting to be washed. Okay? We good?"

Richard scoffs in frustration, "What do you mean?! Barging in here the middle of the night. Are you crazy?!"

"Mom just seemed _extremely_ concerned about getting the rest of Rory's things."

"She needed something to wear to court!" Emily shouts.

Lorelai nods, a cynical smile sweeping her face, "Yeah, so I figured I better hurry right over with them. Now I did, so, I'm done! I no longer have to be involved in any of this. God, it feels great."

Emily sighs, "Lorelai, stop this! I know you're upset. I know you hate us--"

"--I don't hate you. Why would I hate you?"

"Well...because, we... you thought," Emily stammers.

"You were just being you. You couldn't help it. It's the classic story of the scorpion and the frog. The scorpion says to the frog, 'Hey Frog, give me a lift to the other side of the pond.' Frog says, 'No way! You'll sting me and I'll die.' Scorpion says, 'Will not!' So Frog says, 'Cool!' And the Scorpion gets on the Frog's back and they make it to the middle of the pond and the Scorpion stings him. As the frog is going down, he says, 'Why would you do that? Now we'll both die.' And Scorpion says, 'Sorry. It's just my nature,'" Lorelai pauses, concluding her story with a dramatic sigh, "Frog," she points to herself, "Scorpion," she points at Emily. 

Emily's been watching her with her arms folded over her chest, "I always thought it was a turtle."

Lorelai shuts her eyes, frustrated that was the only part of the story her mother cared to comment on, " _Whatever_ it was--you guys just couldn't help it."

"Lorelai, why don't you sit and calm down. All this shouting can't be good for you in your...condition," Richard says, joining Emily across from their daughter.

"Oooo! Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner! Someone finally brought up the elephant in the room," Lorelai says, throwing her hands in the air. Her engagement ring catches the light, and Emily notices, "What is that on your finger?"

Lorelai curses herself for not taking off the ring before she left Stars Hollow, "It is a ring. An engagement ring. Luke and I are getting married."

"That's good to hear," Richards says evenly, "Congratulations."

Emily's face lights up, but she controls herself, "Isn't this a bit of a rush? You didn't marry Christopher after he got you pregnant and look how that turned out!"

"It didn't work out because being a child-bride rarely does," Lorelai retorts, "Luke and I aren't getting married just because of the baby. We're getting married because we love each other and we _want_ to be married."

"I just think you should take your time and really think about if Luke is who you want to be with," Emily reasons.

Lorelai starts laughing and Emily stares at her in irritation, "What is it now?"

"Oh, god, you are hysterical! First, you want a shotgun wedding so I can marry my kid's father--even though it would _never_ have worked out, and now, when _this_ kid's father and I do decide to get married, because we _actually_ love each other, you tell me to think about it! This just proves it doesn't matter what I do, you'll always think it's wrong!” She pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing, “But, hey, you two should be very jazzed because now you finally get a chance at having the daughter you always wanted."

Richard sighs deeply, "I'm too tired to have this conversation."

"Rory! Right here under your roof! Now you get your do-over. A new and improved Lorelai. Congrats. Very well played," Lorelai gives them a curtsy, before turning on her heel to leave.

"Lorelai, please, the fact of the matter is, your mother and I were _just_ trying to do the right thing. We're all striving for the same goal. We want Rory to be happy and healthy. She's taken a bit of a stumble, but we can get her back on the right track. All of us. Together. And we are going to need your input and your involvement to achieve that," Richard says, stopping her in the hallway.

"Dad, that was a very nice speech, but you both made it very clear that my opinion does not matter. So, my involvement ends here, with the laundry basket."

Emily joins the two of them in the hall, "What is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that I'm out. You've won. She's all yours," Lorelai pauses, "Of course, the laundry basket--I'm going to want back."

/

"It's big."

Sookie giggles, "That's what she said."

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "Good one."

The pair were standing in front of the Twickham house, admiring it from the sidewalk. It really was a beautiful home. But there was something about it that didn't feel quite right to Lorelai. As much as she tried to picture it, she just couldn't see her and Luke raising their family in it. She didn't want to tell Luke about her doubts, he was so happy about this place, and she wanted to be too. 

"It's very sweet of Luke to have that dream of his. You two living in this house with the baby!" Sookie says excitedly, clasping her hands over her heart.

Lorelai smiles, but she's distant, and Sookie knows it. "So, it's all feeling pretty real, huh?"

"Yeah. It is," she says, shifting her weight to the other hip, "There's something that doesn't feel right though."

Sookie puts a hand on her shoulder, "I know this is a touchy topic, but maybe it doesn't feel right because of... the fight?" Lorelai doesn't say anything and Sookie sighs, "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. It's just that we're all kind of worried about you. You've been under a tremendous amount of stress and you shouldn't be, you know, with the baby and all... are you holding up okay?"

"Sookie, I'm fine. You and Luke should really start a club," Lorelai says, slightly irritated. Luke was constantly asking her if she was feeling okay, if she was too overwhelmed, or stressed out. She knows he just means well, and so does Sookie, but the constant questioning was getting sickening.

"Okay. I'm sorry," she apologizes, "We just care about you. We don't want anything bad to happen," Sookie says, almost scared to say the words 'bad' and 'happen.'

Lorelai had to admit, she was concerned that the tumultuous state of her current life would effect her pregnancy, but she couldn't let anyone, especially Luke, catch on to it. In all the years that she'd been Rory's mom, the two of them never had a blow out like this one. Nothing even close to it. Which made it blaringly obvious to anyone who knew her, that Lorelai didn't know how to cope with this.

She turns to Sookie, breathing a cleansing sigh, "You don't have to apologize, Sook. I know you and Luke and everyone else just care, but I promise I'm okay. The baby's doing just fine. Enjoying the cozy little home I've made for them," Lorelai says, rubbing the very slight curvature of her stomach. 

Sookie grins, "You had another appointment yesterday, right? How'd it go? How's Luke? He hasn't passed out yet, right?"

Lorelai smiles at her best friend's excitement. "Yep, it went great. I have to go in a lot more now than I did the first time around, because I'm considered to be _geriatric_ which makes me feel _so_ sexy, but the baby's doing perfect. And Luke has been--" she pauses, the realization of just how good Luke has been with her crossing her mind, “ _—incredible._ He's been so, 'dad-like,' it's kind of insane."

"Who knew our grumpy Luke would someday turn into Howard Cunningham," Sookie sighs happily, "You two are going to be the best parents. That's one very lucky kiddo."

Lorelai squeezes Sookie's hand and stares up at the house again, "Wow."

"Wow, what?"

"Is it me or..."

Sookie looks up at the house too, "Nope! I think it just got bigger."

"That's what she said."

Sookie snorts, "Good grief."

"What? You can be twelve, but I can't be twelve?" Lorelai challenges.

She wraps her arm around Lorelai, patting her shoulder, "You can be twelve."

Lorelai wraps her right arm around Sookie and grins, "Thank you."

/

"Luke, it's a _fictional_ world, you really need to let it go," Lorelai says, plopping down at the counter, "Can I please have coffee?"

He breezes behind the counter, "No--and I can't just 'let it go,' Lorelai,” he rants grabbing her a mug, “All the other guy has to do is scurry onto land, run up a hill a bit, and then he has the high ground? I mean, they can fly jetpods, but they can't scurry?”

Lorelai leans forward on her elbows, “Go on a website or something, okay? ‘Cause there are thousands—no, millions of your kind out there debating all the minutiae of, not just this Star Wars movie, but _every_ Star Wars movie!” 

“You drag me to see these movies.”

“Nah-uh, _you_ wanted to see this movie.”

Luke pours hot water into the mug, “So, just because I wanted to see it, I can’t critique it?”

“Yeah, that’s how it works,” she pauses watching him pick up a packet and push the mug towards her, “What are you doing? What’s this?”

He rips open the packet, “This, is peppermint tea. I know you probably have never even seen a tea bag before, so I’ll give you a little help,” he sticks the tea bag into her mug and meets her gaze, “Ta-da.”

“Ewwww! I don’t want this! I want coffee,” she whines. 

Luke gives her a shrug, “You can’t _have_ coffee anymore. I’m under strict orders from Dr. Price to watch you like a hawk.”

Lorelai groans loudly, “You two suck! A couple of Satanists conspiring against me to ruin my life!” 

“Yeah, you caught us,” Luke says sarcastically, “Just try it. You said you were nauseous this morning, and this should help.”

“ _This_ is making me nauseous,” she says, sticking her lower lip out in a pout like a child.

Luke groans, "Try it.”

She refuses to touch it, changing the subject instead. “So, are you gonna move the rest of your stuff over today?”

“Yeah, I’ll finish up tonight. Although, I don’t know why I’m moving all my stuff into your place, just to move it again into the Twickham house,” Luke says, sliding a plate of pancakes to the customer to the right of Lorelai.

Luke’s original plan was to just move his stuff right into the Twickham house in a couple weeks, but Lorelai convinced him to move into her house first, so they wouldn’t have to move stuff from two different locations. Luke argued with her logic, which only lead to tears, so he dropped the questioning and started moving into her house right away. For Lorelai, the underlying reason to the madness, was that she desperately wanted to stay in her house, and if Luke got all situated there, he might grow to love it too, and give up the whole Twickham house plan all together. 

“It just makes sense Luke! That way the movers won’t get confused, and end up at... I don’t know, Kirk’s place, and then all of a sudden we have Kirk’s slinky collection sitting in our living room,” Lorelai rants.

“Okay, okay—I’m not going to question it any further,” he gives in, “You heading to the inn?” 

She nods, “Yeah, I should probably get over there. Bye doll,” she says, leaning over the counter pressing a kiss against his lips. 

“Take it with you,” he says, pointing at the tea, which he already managed to sneak into a to-go cup.

Lorelai stares at him, mouth ajar, “How’d you do that?” 

“Magic.” 

She snatches the cup off the counter, “Fine! Tea nazi!”

/

Instead of going straight to the inn, Lorelai stumbles upon the Stars Hollow Pet Fair. She stops at the pot-belly pig pen, making a BLT joke while scratching it’s fuzzy head. Lorelai was just about to leave, when a pair of dark eyes beneath a mop of grey, shaggy hair looks up at her. 

“Hey! Hey you. Oh, someone seems very happy,” she coos, petting the sheepdog on the head. 

A worker comes over to her, a smile on her face, “Wow! He likes you, and he’s picky.”

Lorelai meets her gaze, “He’s cute.” She turns back to the dog, squatting down to him, “You’re cute! You’re shaggy cute.” 

The mutt puts a paw up on the kennel, begging for more attention and Lorelai sighs happily, “Awww, we got a love thing going on!” 

Suddenly, Lorelai hears her name being shouted, and she stands up to see Luke’s sister Liz running toward her. 

“Liz, hi!” Lorelai says, hugging her. 

“Oh my god, you are just glowing! I can’t believe Luke’s gonna be a daddy and you’re gonna be my sister-in-law!” she squeals, “The future Mrs. Danes—not that you have to change your last name, you don’t got to, go modern.” 

Lorelai nods and smiles, “Oh, I don’t know what I’m going to do yet.” 

“And the ring,” she sighs, holding Lorelai’s left hand up, “Mom’s ring. I am so glad he gave it to you. He finally got it right.” 

“I love it. It’s so special and I can’t picture wearing anything else,” Lorelai says, wiggling her fingers a bit, the diamonds catching the sunlight. 

“How are you feeling? Luke said you’re about ten weeks along?” 

Lorelai nods, “Yep, I just hit ten weeks. I’m doing pretty good, minus the morning sickness, heartburn and total exhaustion,” she says, patting her belly affectionately. 

“And my big brother’s treating you like a queen right? ‘Cause I swear, if he isn’t, I’ll kick his ass,” Liz demands.

“No ass kicking needed. Luke is amazing, he’s taking great care of me.” 

Liz grins, “Good. I like seeing his soft, emotional side. You know, you’re the only one who’s ever been able to bring it out of him.” 

Lorelai feels her cheeks redden, “Well, softening the mountain man was a feat many women attempted, but could not complete.” 

“Oh, I’m such a jerk! I forgot to ask you about Rory,” Liz says, shaking her head. “Are things... better?” 

Lorelai tucks her hair behind her ear nervously, “Oh! Uh, how much did Luke tell you?”

“Just that the two of you had a pretty big fight.” 

“Yeah, she’s uh, staying with her grandparents for the summer. For a change of pace. She’ll be working and...yeah,” Lorelai says, wearing a sad smile. 

“It’s so great that you and your parents are so close. And Rory will come around, they always do. I mean, look at me and Jess. I promise, it’ll work out. Rory’s a smart girl.”

“Thanks, Liz. I hope so.” 

They say their goodbyes and Lorelai watches the blonde stride away, thinking about what Liz said about it being so great that she and her parents were so ‘close.’ On a good day they were anything but close, but right now, they were practically across the globe from each other. Lorelai turns back around to where the furry dog was still watching her intently. The poor little guy looked so lonely. His big eyes full of longing for someone to take him with them. After several moments, Lorelai looks to the worker and grins, “I’ll take him.” 

/

“Okay, I brought you your peanut butter and jelly burger! It makes me wanna barf, but I guess if the baby wants it, the baby should have it,” Luke says upon arriving at Lorelai’s house. It’s quiet, and he kicks off his boots before calling out “Lorelai?” 

“Ooooo! Come in, come in! I want you to show you something!” Lorelai squeals, coming around the corner into his view. 

He immediately becomes concerned. Lorelai’s regular brain was a jungle of crazy, but her _pregnancy_ brain was escalated to a level of Lorelai crazy he'd never come close to experiencing before. 

“Okay...?” 

Lorelai grabs his hand, bouncing into the living room, “Or, more accurately, I want to show you _someone_!” She pauses, a confused look appearing on her face, “Wait, where’d he go?” 

Luke spies what looks like dog paraphernalia scattered all over the living room. “Where did _who_ go?” 

“Awww, yoo-hoo?” She sighs, slightly disappointed, “Come on dude, we had it all rehearsed and everything.” Lorelai goes behind the arm chair in the corner, “Ah! Ah-ha!” she bends over, scooping something into her arms, “Yeah, okay... ta-da!” 

Lorelai comes up from behind the arm chair producing a shaggy sheepdog, his ears flopping as she made her way over to Luke. He stands in shock, staring at the bundle of fur in Lorelai’s arms, “It’s a... a dog.” 

“Very good!” She turns to the dog, speaking to him in a goofy voice, “He’s smart too. But not as smart as you!” She sits down on the edge of her coffee table with the mutt next to her, as Luke looked on in total confusion.

“What on earth are you doing with a dog?” 

Lorelai grins, petting the canine's fluffy head, “I bought him! Doesn’t he look happy?” 

Luke shuffles over towards them, “Yeah, I guess... you bought a dog!” 

“Yes, and he doesn’t give his love easily! The only draw back is his name, Cocoa, it’s too cutesy. So, I’m gonna call him Paul Anka, but I don’t want to freak him out, so I’ll _slowly_ change Cocoa until it becomes Paul Anka,” Lorelai explains, as if it’s normal as can be. 

“Uh-huh...”

“And, you know, this little guy has already taught me something I didn't know! Just because they make it for a dog doesn't mean a dog is gonna like it. Toys, including squeakies and the “whazzup” variety, no interest. Rawhide bones, no interest. Popcorn—scared of it.” 

“He’s scared of popcorn?” Luke asks incredulously. 

“Yeah, and also of tissue holders, paperbacks, CDs, framed pictures, and lint,” she rattles off, “Oh! And when I drink something, he gets freaked out like I'm gonna die, and I have to pick him up and rock him like a baby until he calms down. It's been quite a first day for us.” 

Luke sighs, folding his arms over his chest, “Look, can I ask the question that immediately came to mind when I saw the thing?” 

“That hamster was defective! He was pure evil! And they only live like three years, so it would have been dead by now anyways—so, world, stop with the hamster already!” 

“I’m not talking about the hamster. I’m talking about the baby. Do you really think getting a dog _now_ is a good idea?” 

Lorelai stares at Paul Anka and then back at Luke, “Yes. I do.” 

“Really...?”

She doesn’t answer at first, and then the floodgates open, “Luuuuke, you just don’t understand! I couldn’t help myself! I have all these nurturing feelings whizzing around inside me, and I saw this adorable, scruffy boy and I fell in love! It was like falling in love with _you._ Just give him a backwards baseball cap and a flannel and he _is_ you!” 

Luke stares blankly, unamused by her little analogy.

“But seriously, Luke, this dog _needed_ me. And I needed him. We locked eyes and that was it. I promise I will take care of him,” she says, almost like she was a kid trying to convince her father to let her keep a pet.

“Is this somehow going to be my fault for getting you pregnant, therefore giving you all these ‘nurturing’ feelings, which made you get this dog?” Luke deadpans.

Lorelai ponders that, a smile finally appearing on her face, “Yes, it is. Now, would you like a beer?”

“I thought so. And sure.” 

Lorelai grabs a beer out of the fridge for Luke and pours herself some orange juice. Paul Anka follows them into the kitchen and stands near his food bowl, staring at Luke and Lorelai. When he feels they aren’t paying attention, he starts eating. 

“Oh! Sshhhh! He’s eating!” She quietly exclaims, grabbing Luke’s hand and leading him towards the back door, grabbing her burger bag on the way out, “He’s very self conscious about his eating. I am too! That’s how I know this is gonna work!” 

Once she and Luke are on the porch he turns to her and sighs, “You do realize your dog has driven us out of the house.” 

“Oh shush! He’s a quick eater. And it’s a nice night.” 

They take a seat on her patio furniture, Lorelai crossing her legs under herself and taking out her burger, “So, how was your day?”

"Well, I talked to some contractors about the Twickham house," Luke says, taking a swig of his beer.

Lorelai bites into the burger, trying to sound excited at the mention of the house, "Oh yeah?"

"As soon as we make the offer, they'll let us in. We can start planning stuff. Remodeling, whatever," he pauses, "I was thinking we could even pull the crew over here to do some quick touch-ups before selling."

Lorelai puts down her burger, shifting in her seat, "Right. Right. Uh, you know... I've been thinking..."

There she goes again. Luke sighs and twists toward her, leaning on his elbow on the back of the couch, "Should I be scared?"

She giggles, "No! I was just thinking, maybe we should... hang onto this place?"

"To rent?"

"No, no... not to rent, just to... to use as a paint studio! Or, or as a recording studio! And when I'm not laying down tracks, we could rent it out to Korn or Iggy Pop or someone. Right? You and me just hanging with Iggy Pop--Ig's got stories!" Lorelai says, picking up her burger again.

Luke now realizes what's going on here. Lorelai wanting him to move his stuff into _her_ house first. She didn't offer up any ideas or interest when he asked her about renovations at the Twickham house. And now, her crazy rant about holding onto her house to 'lay down tracks' with Iggy Pop. Luke didn't even know who the hell this Iggy Pop guy was. Lorelai wanted to stay in her house. And Luke found himself okay with that. Lorelai loves her house. It was a great house. With some renovations, and maybe expanding it a bit, they could easily stay here.

"Uh-huh... Iggy Pop?"

Lorelai immediately goes into a new rant, "Or! Or--we could use it as a safe house, in case we decide to take up a life of crime!"

Luke tries to hide his smile, clearly amused, "I doubt we're going to do that."

"Well, we could be accused of a crime we did not commit! And then we'd have to hide out until society realized the mistake, and then we'd be like, 'Hey, no hard feelings. It happens. This is a great country, and thank god, we had the safe house.'"

He watches her intently as she explained her wild theory. After she was done, he places a hand on her knee, "Lorelai?" She meets his gaze, "Do you want to stay in your house?"

She drops her gaze immediately, too sheepish to look at him. After a few beats she looks up at him and gives him a little nod, "Yes."

"We don't have to move, Lorelai. If you want to stay here, we'll make it work. We can expand, and do a little remodeling and it'll be great," Luke says, his hand now running up and down her leg.

Lorelai feels the tears surface and she starts sniffling, "R-r-really?"

Luke smiles, "Really."

Her whole face beams beneath the tears, "I'm happy, Luke. I love my house. I raised Rory here, and I just couldn't picture raising this one anywhere else," she strokes her stomach lightly, "You're very awesome."

He chuckles, pulling her into his lap, "Well, I try my best. I kind of figured that there was something else going on after you brought up painting and that Iggy guy," he places his hands around her waist, gently rubbing her sides, "You can be honest with me, Lorelai. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide your feelings from me."

She nods, for the first time in weeks, feeling a sense of ease with her life. Luke was her guy. She didn't have a single doubt about that. "Thank you, Luke. I love you."

He tucks her hair behind her ear and leans in to kiss her, "I love you, too." After he captures her lips, he pulls back, "Oh, god--I can taste the peanut butter and jelly on you," Luke grimaces and she just laughs. "How _that_ doesn't make you sick, but scrambled eggs do, is beyond me."

"Ewww, don't even bring up the e-word. They're squishy and yellow and...ick! I need to stop talking about it," she pauses shaking the thought. Lorelai suddenly gasps, "Oh! Look! He's done, and he's in there fast asleep," she says in a babyish voice, pointing through the window at Paul Anka.

Luke stands up, with Lorelai still in his arms, "Great! Let's go back in."

She wraps her legs around his torso so he can hold her better, "Okay, just be careful because he gets scared when you wake him up."

"Of course."

Lorelai grins giddily, "Okay! Oh--oh, and try not to say any words that start with the letter 'Q'."

"I'll try to control myself."


	8. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

It was past midnight when the whining started up again. Luke wakes up with a groan, instantly irritated. Paul Anka had been quiet for a couple hours, his lonely cries finally subsiding after Luke yelled at him, which only made Lorelai start crying because he 'hated her dog.' He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Lorelai brought home a dog in the first place. A dirty, barking, jumping, shedding, pain to train dog. 

Lorelai wakes up shortly after, groaning as she slung an arm over her face, "Oh, god, he's doing it again, isn't he?"

"Well, it certainly isn't me."

She sits up and leans against the headboard, "I just feel so bad. I mean, he's obviously freaked out. All alone in a brand new house, in the dark." Luke feels the bed shift and he immediately has a bad feeling about where this is headed. 

"He needs to get used to it-- _what_ are you doing?" he asks, finally sitting up. 

Lorelai opens the door, and the fur ball streaks into the room, wasting no time to see if his invitation to come into their bedroom would be stripped away. She squats down and pets him, "Were you so scared being out there all alone? Did you think mommy and daddy abandoned you?" she coos, and Paul Anka licks her face in appreciation, which makes her giggle. She gets back in bed, and Paul Anka follows suit, curling up next to her.

Luke, on the other hand, was anything but pleased. "Lorelai, _no._ "

"What? He's scared! He wants to be close to us," she counters, holding Paul Anka's furry body close to her chest.

He could already tell this was going to be a battle he was on the losing end of. "If we start letting him sleep in our room, it's going to become a habit. And I don't think either of us want that."

Lorelai huffs, "I don't mind if he sleeps in here."

"Lorelai, I draw the line at him sleeping in the same _bed_ as me," Luke argues, running a hand through his hair wearily. "He just needs to get used to being alone down there. He'll be perfectly fine sleeping on his dog bed in the living room eventually."

She takes her arms off Paul Anka, folding them across her chest instead, while she stared skeptically at Luke, "So, if our baby is crying, your solution is going to be, 'leave them alone, they'll be fine?'"

Luke sighs. He knew this was going to happen. "Our baby is completely different. It's a _baby._ This is a dog, and a neurotic one at that."

"So you're saying that just because he has four legs and a tail, he shouldn't be cared for when he's upset?" Lorelai throws back at him. 

"I just think he shouldn't be cared for in our _bed,_ " he retorts.

Lorelai whips the covers off her body, hastily getting out of bed. "Fine! I guess I'll just go sleep on the couch then! Come on Paul Anka--yeah, that's right, I'm skipping the transitions and going straight for the gold."

Luke groans, "Lorelai, come on!"

"No! You made it very clear how you feel about this, so enjoy having the bed all to yourself!" She yanks the comforter off him, wadding it in her arms as she left the room, slamming the door behind her. Luke flops back down against the mattress, frustrated with her antics. He wanted to appease her, but at the same time, he shouldn't feel guilty for occasionally putting his foot down. 

Luke shivers and he remembers that she took the comforter with her, so he throws on a sweatshirt and pajama pants before laying back down. As much as he tried, he couldn't seem to drift off to sleep knowing she was sulking on the couch downstairs.

He decides to go down and see if she's awake, or at the very least, just check on her. Luke enters the living room and stops near the coffee table. Lorelai was curled up on one end of the couch, Paul Anka's furry body tucked under her left arm. He smiles in spite of himself, they did look pretty adorable like that. He sits down on the coffee table, running a hand through Lorelai's dark tresses gently. She stirs slightly at his touch, blinking open her eyes, "Hey..."

"Hey," Luke says softly, and she sits up a little. "Can we talk?"

Lorelai nods, "Yeah. We can talk."

Luke sighs, "Listen, I'm sorry if I made you mad. I didn't mean to, you know that. But Lorelai, I shouldn't feel guilty all the time for saying what's on my mind and occasionally putting my foot down. I know this is new for both of us, this living together and all, but if we can't compromise on things, it's not going to work. And I _want_ it to work. I want this to work out more than anything in my life."

Lorelai was stroking Paul Anka's head absentmindedly while he spoke. He could tell that she was receptive, but her stubbornness continued to hold out. 

"I hate arguing with you. One of us always seems to run off, instead of just sitting it out and talking. So, I had to come down here, because I couldn't sleep knowing you were upset," he finishes, leaning his elbows on his knees, hands clasped.

Lorelai finally looks up at him, twisting her legs off the couch, so she was sitting directly across from him, her legs now between his. "Luke, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have respected your opinion. I know you don't _love_ dogs in the first place, and I shouldn't have sprang Paul Anka on you now. Especially because you've been so cool and awesome with the baby and everything. I'm such an awful person," she says dropping her head in her hands.

Luke shifts closer to her, wrapping his arms around her small frame, "You are _not_ an awful person, Lorelai. A little crazy? Yes," he teases, and she looks up at him, a small pathetic smile forming on her face. He looks at the shaggy mutt, who was watching the two of them from his spot on the couch, "And I will get used to Paul Anka... eventually." 

Lorelai smiles and rests a hand on Luke's thigh, "I promise I'll try harder to compromise, Luke. I want this to work, too. And, I'm glad you came down here and we talked."

He kisses her forehead, "Are you coming back to bed?"

She looks back at Paul Anka, who wags his tail affectionately at her, "I think I should stay down here with him, just for the rest of the night."

Luke nods, and stands up from his perch on the coffee table, "Okay, scoot over."

"What? What are you doing?" Lorelai asks him, smiling as he slides behind her on the couch. 

"Family bonding," he deadpans, as Lorelai spoons into his side and Paul Anka spins around a few times before nestling into a cozy spot at their feet. 

Lorelai giggles, pulling the comforter up further, "See, Paul Anka? Daddy does love you."

He scoffs, "I am not his father."

"Ssshhh, go to sleep."

/

Lorelai had taken Paul Anka out on a little Stars Hollow tour that morning. He played dead twice when they came across other dogs, but he stopped barking at mail boxes, which Lorelai considered a win. When they got back to her house, she looks up to find a man standing outside her bedroom window on the roof of the house. Lorelai makes her way towards the house, total confusion knit into her expression, "Uh, hi?"

"Hello!" he says exuberantly.

"I'm Lorelai, the owner of the house you're standing on. I'm trying to think of how to ask this in a polite way, but are you committing some sort of crime?"

The man shakes his head, "Nope. Nice to meet you, Lorelai, I'm George."

Lorelai laughs nervously, "Uh, but if you were committing a crime would you tell me?"

Suddenly, Luke appears with another man, "Hey, Lorelai--this is George and Saul."

"Yeah, we've met. What are you guys doing up there?" she asks, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at them.

"We're sizing the situation," Luke says, as George jotted numbers down on a notepad.

"What situation?"

"About how many silent joists we need to carry out."

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "You know that means nothing to me, earth speak please!"

"It's about expanding our bedroom," Luke says, a small grin on his face.

Lorelai immediately gasps in excitement, "Really?! I've always wanted a bigger bedroom!"

"Yeah, well, we talked about it the other night, and I thought, why wait any longer to remodel? We only have about seven months until the baby gets here, so we don't have a whole lot of time to waste."

She grins, "Come down here so I can kiss you! _All_ of you."

He blushes and gives her a little nod, "We'll be down in a minute."

Lorelai sighs happily, looking for Paul Anka, who was hiding behind her legs, "And _where_ were you my furry protector?" she groans, squatting down next to him. He stares at her sheepishly, and she laughs, petting his head, "Now, how could I be mad at that face?"

/

Lorelai was sitting at her usual counter spot at the diner, eating an apple, while Luke finished serving the early morning rush. Kirk was yammering on about being a licensed nanny, and he was willing to cut she and Luke a pretty good deal for his services. Although Lorelai explained to him for the thousandth time that she and Luke weren't going to need a nanny for their baby, he still persisted.

"So, what do you think we're having, boy or girl?" she asks Luke as he comes back behind the counter. 

He shrugs, "Just as long as the baby's healthy, I'm happy either way."

Lorelai rolls her eyes, basketball shooting the apple core into the trash bin behind him, "Luke! That's the cliché answer. Now, come on, you don't have to say your preference, but what do you _think_ we're having?"

Before he can answer, Kirk pipes up. "Well, in the early polls, an overwhelming 68.7% think it's going to be another Gilmore girl. But, with all the BBQ ribs Lorelai's been eating from Sniffy's, the bets are starting to be wagered in the direction of a boy."

"Oh, my god--what do you guys do, follow us around all day?!"

"There are _bets_ being placed on the sex of my child?" Luke asks in sync with Lorelai's previous question.

Kirk throws his hands up, "Listen, it wasn't my idea. I'm only the messenger."

Luke sighs and hands Lorelai a glass of water, "This town should be locked up in an asylum."

"Well, we still got quite a few weeks before we can find out, but my mommy intuition is saying it's a girl," Lorelai says, taking a sip of water. A small smile appears on Luke's face and Lorelai sets her glass down quickly, "Wait, wait, wait! Is that a smile?"

He quickly changes his expression, a slight redness appearing on his face instead, "No!"

"It so is! You _so_ want it to be a girl, don't you?!" Lorelai squeals, going around to his side of the counter.

"Lorelai! Who's side of the counter are you on?"

She ignores him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "You want a girl! This is _crazy!_ You, Luke Danes, want a daughter! I was totally banking on you wanting a Luke Jr. in his little itty-bitty flannels, and teeny-tiny backwards cap, but you love your crazy Gilmore girls after all!"

"God _help_ me if another one gets added to your cult," he teases, gently walking her back to the other side of the counter. 

"Why so evil?" she asks, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

Luke leans his elbows on the counter, "Hmmm, I wonder?"

She puckers her lips, pressing a kiss to his, before grabbing her purse off the counter, "Bye, hon," she turns to Kirk, "I swear to god, if you follow me--"

"The people of Stars Hollow deserve to know the truth Lorelai!"

/

That night, as Luke was just about to close, the bell dings. “Kitchen’s closed—“ he starts, but immediately stops when he turns around and realizes it’s Rory. 

“Rory, hey,” he smiles, immediately grabbing a mug to pour her some coffee. 

She stands awkwardly by the door, “So, kitchen’s closed?” 

“No, no—kitchen’s not closed, come on in,” he says pushing the filled coffee mug towards her. 

Rory sits down, and stares at the mug of coffee, “Oh! Thanks,” she says, picking it up in her hands gingerly.

“Yeah, well, I just figured.” 

She smiles, “You figured right,” she takes a sip, “So, it looks like the town has been doing a little painting?”

Luke sighs, “Yeah, Taylor wanted to spiff it up. Those are his words. Put these obnoxious signs up. ‘Pardon our spiff, it'll just take a jiff’. It's dumb.”

Rory nods, “Yeah, dumb. I uh, I started my community service.” 

“Oh, right! How’s it going?”

“A little roadwork. Vest and all. Five hours down, 295 to go,” Rory replies, emphasizing the amount of hours she still had to go. 

Luke leans against the counter, “Well, it’s good that you’re chipping away at it.” 

Rory nods, sipping at her coffee again. Luke knows she wants to ask about Lorelai, but the awkwardness of the situation keeps getting in her way. Finally she puts the mug down, “How are... people?”

“People... are good,” Luke starts, breathing a tension relieving sigh, “People are good.” 

“That’s good,” Rory says, chewing on her bottom lip, “How’s mom? Is the baby—the baby’s good, right?”

“Yeah, the baby’s doing really good,” Luke says, smiling, “Your mom’s having a hard time staying away from the caffeine, but uh, other than that she’s hanging in there.” 

Rory gives him a small smile, “Yeah, I kind of figured that she’d have a hard time giving up her beloved coffee.”

It’s silent between the two of them, and the quiet only makes Luke more nervous, “Your mom and I are engaged,” he finally blurts out, immediately realizing it was a mistake when he notices the look on her face. 

“Oh, wow... engaged? Wow,” she says again, trying to put on a happy face, although Luke can tell she’s severely disappointed it isn’t Lorelai who told her the news. 

“Yeah,” he says quietly.

“Well, congratulations—I should probably go,” Rory stammers, getting off the stool and heading toward the door, “Thank you, for the coffee...” 

“Anytime,” Luke says, as Rory exits the diner. He watches her get into her car and take off, tossing a bar towel on the counter in defeat. Why did he have to open his big mouth? This was something Lorelai deserved to tell her daughter, whom she’d previously shared _everything_ with. Now, he had taken that away from her in a matter of seconds. All he knew for certain, was that he was stuck in the middle of mother and daughter, and he absolutely hated it.


	9. Fight Faces

Lorelai wandered out onto the porch after being woken up by the sounds of hammers pounding and saws whirring to life. She immediately runs into TJ, who was holding a roll of trash bags. "TJ," Lorelai says, through clenched teeth. If it wasn't for Luke's brother-in-law she wouldn't have been up this early. Unbeknownst to Lorelai, Luke had told Liz he'd 'think about' hiring TJ as the contractor for the remodel. Of course, Luke had no intention of _ever_ hiring him, but before he knew it, there was a giant hole in Lorelai's bedroom wall. Made by the one and only, TJ.

"Lorelai! Am I glad to see you," he says in his heavy New York accent.

She runs a hand through her messy curls, "It's like seven A.M., TJ."

He sighs dramatically, "I know! The sun ain't even warm yet and here we are toting that barge. Mr. Taskmaster!"

"Who? Who has got you toting a barge?"

He steps off the porch, Lorelai following close behind, "Look, I gotta explain my side in the whole hole thing here. It wasn't my fault."

Lorelai stares at him incredulously, "It wasn't?"

"A guy says 'okay' and that means somethin' to me. You know what it means? It's not so complicated, not like the TV guide or nothin'. It means, 'okay.'"

"It's really early, TJ."

He sighs, "I just don't want you to be mad at me. We're gonna be related, you and me--"

Luke notices TJ with Lorelai and groans in irritation, "Hey, get away from her!"

TJ looks up to where Luke was standing on the roof, "We're just talkin'!" 

"TJ, stop bothering her and get up here!" Luke yells at him, as Lorelai steps closer into his vantage point. "Hey, Luke? Are you aware of the time?"

He shoves a drill in TJ's hands as his brother-in-law joins him on the roof, "I'm just trying to make it so we don't have to sleep on the couch for the next three months. If you want us to stop, we'll stop."

"No, it's just...the sun ain't even warm yet," she replies, using TJ's exact slang.

Luke sighs, adjusting his baseball cap, "I needed to start early so I could get this done. Man!"

Lorelai notices his snappy tone and crosses her arms over her chest, "Hey, what's with the 'tude?"

"Nothing, it's just... do you know you got a frisbee up here?" he barks.

"It's not my frisbee, I don't even play frisbee anything," she says, fully realizing this frisbee rant was just a buffer to the real problem. 

Luke scoffs, "So it just walked up here on it's own?"

"Luke, there is a lost frisbee on the roof of every suburban home in America. It's not that big of a deal--what the hell has gotten into you?" she presses, sick of his attitude.

"I told Rory we were engaged."

Lorelai's jaw drops in shock, "What?! How? _Where?_ "

He kicks at an invisible something with the toe of his boot, "She came into the diner last night. It was awkward and stupid. I ended up telling her that we were engaged."

"But _why?!_ Why would you do that?"

"Because she had the face!" Luke rants helplessly.

"What face?"

"The Rory face. You know the face!"

Lorelai sighs, "Yes, but Luke, you have to ignore the Rory face."

He snorts, "That's easy for you to say."

"You shouldn't have told her."

Luke nods, "Yeah, I shouldn't have told her. _You_ should have told her!"

"Luke! Rory started this. And right now we're not talking. Remember, tough love? I'm on a path here," Lorelai explains, trying to make it make sense, even to herself.

"She would have seen it in the paper eventually!"

"Seen what?"

"Our _engagement,_ " Luke huffs, "I don't know, she'd have opened the paper to the back to one of those stupid pictures of a guy and a girl. 'Bill's a chiropractor. Nancy's a teacher. They met square dancing.' They're on their honeymoon in Florida. And they got these smiles on their faces like their lives are gonna work out the way they dreamt or something... suckers! Those things."

Lorelai waits until he finishes his rant, shifting her feet, "You played right into her hands. You can't do that. She can't just play on our emotions. She has to undo what she's done. Get out of my parents' house. Go back to school. You know the plan, Luke!"

"Fine! Maybe I shouldn't have told her anything. Maybe I should have kicked her out, ignored her, _whatever._ But you got to understand something--I'm in the middle! Yeah, she's your daughter, but _I'm_ in the middle of this mess!"

"I know. You are in the middle," Lorelai says apologetically.

"Good! Because you've been acting like you don't know, like you're alone in this or something."

She looks up at him sheepishly, "I know."

"And I know you don't want my opinion on this, but I think you're both being dumb and you _should_ be talking. There, I won't say anything more about this ever again," he finishes, going over to yell at TJ about something he was doing wrong.

"Luke?" Lorelai asks nervously.

"We're okay," he replies genuinely, turning around to face her.

"Good."

/

Later that afternoon, as Lorelai was driving in to Hartford, she passed by the spot where Rory happened to be doing her community service roadwork. She wasn't going to pull over, but after having that conversation with Luke, she stops the Jeep, walking over to her daughter.

"Repaying your debt to society, I assume."

Rory instantly turns at the sound of her voice, a wave of anger crossing over her face, "That's what this is."

Lorelai folds her arms over her chest, "System already hardened you?"

"So, I guess congratulations are in order," Rory says icily.

"So, how are things at the new digs? Has Grandma redecorated the pool house yet?" Lorelai shoots back.

"You guys set a date yet?!"

"Be sure to send me a change-of-address card. Grandma can print them out for you, with a little fleur-de-lis."

Rory whips back around, walking away from Lorelai, "I'm not supposed to be talking to outsiders."

Lorelai watches her walk away, feeling stupid for thinking anything could be resolved yelling at each other on the side of the road during Rory's community service hours, "Fine by me."

"You know, you and Luke getting engaged and not telling me? You _hurt_ me," Rory calls out from across the road.

Lorelai pausing before getting in the Jeep, "Back at you."

Rory watches her drive off, stabbing her trash poker into the ground with more force than she needed. Rory was not about to let her mom guilt trip her in any way. She wasn't stupid, she knew she hurt Lorelai. But if her mom wasn't going to support her decision, she wasn't going to be sorry. As much as Rory didn't want to admit it, she did miss her mom. She missed movie nights, going to Luke's for dinner, meandering through Stars Hollow festivals and eating junk food until she wanted to puke. She missed the simpler times before college and Logan and the DAR. Rory wanted to go home.

/

Lorelai rolls out of bed, stepping into fuzzy blue slippers. Luke had moved the bed downstairs to the living room, so at least the two of them didn't have to cram onto the couch. Luke was already gone, but Paul Anka snoozed on his dog bed nearby. He lifts his head when he hears her get up. "Hi, buddy. Lets get us a little breakfast." 

The canine follows her, watching as she prepares a breakfast buffet. After everything is laid out, she walks out onto the porch, "Breakfast boys! Get it while it's room temperature and nutrient free!"

They enter her kitchen, making small talk and witty banter, while Lorelai reminded them to pet Paul Anka with their non-watch hand, as he'd freaked out the previous day after Pete gave his head a pat, jumping on the kitchen counter and sending Lorelai's once working toaster crashing to the floor. 

Luke enters the kitchen with a box from the diner, "I got your muffins."

Lorelai smiles happily, "Ooo! Thanks! Muffins fellas!"

Luke raises a brow, "These were for _them?_ "

"Nah, I thought I'd try to eat my weight in muffins today," Lorelai says with a sarcastic grin. 

He groans and notices Paul Anka sitting up in one of their kitchen chairs, "Does he have to sit on the chair like that?"

"What? His posture's perfect."

"Chairs are for people."

Lorelai shakes her head, "Not this chair. This is Paul Anka's chair."

"Dogs are filthy. They have fleas and malaria on them. You shouldn't have fleas and malaria in the room you're going to eat in," Luke states, slightly annoyed.

"I don't eat in here, they do," she says, nodding toward the workers. 

Luke throws his hands up, shaking his head, "Whatever!"

"Hey, so I'll be right back, I'm going to go shower at Babette's," Lorelai says, leaving the kitchen to gather her things.

He stares at her in confusion, "Why? You have a working shower."

She laughs nervously, clasping her hands, "Oh, there was... an incident."

"What do you mean, incident?"

"Nothing big. A couple of the guys just saw me naked."

Luke's brows immediately float up to his hair line, "What?! How in the hell did a couple of guys see you naked?!"

"Well, I was getting out of the shower and Joe--"

"Joe?! Joe saw you naked--"

"And Pete," she adds.

" _Pete!_ "

"Yeah, Pete was with Joe, and then Slim..."

"Slim saw you naked?!"

"I could see him, so I'm assuming he could see me. But it was Billy who had the best view, just a straight shot right down main street."

Luke braces the porch rail, "So _four_ guys saw you naked?"

"If you don't count Teddy, then yes."

Luke looks like he's about to have an aneurism, "What the hell were those guys doing up there in the first place?!"

Lorelai bites her lip anxiously, "TJ accidentally sent them up..."

"I'll kill him. I'm really gonna do it this time!"

She grabs his arm, stopping him from hunting down TJ, "Luke, it was no big deal, I promise. We all had a good laugh about it. Look, from now on I'm showering at Babette's, so the show is officially over. No one sees the goods but you," she wraps her arms around his neck, pecking a kiss to his lips.

He still doesn't look pleased, but he softens, wrapping his hands around her waist, " _No one,_ " he repeats, kissing her forehead. He pauses, trying to figure out how to phrase his question, "Uh--have they..." he starts gesturing to his chest, making expanding motions with his hands. Lorelai laughs and gives him a little nod, "Oh yeah, the girls kind of popped overnight," she notices his face turns slightly red and she giggles, "And lucky for you big guy, because I'm going to turn into a real horn-dog in the near future." She slaps his ass, before making her way across the lawn to Babette's.

Luke shakes his head, and Billy walks by him, giving him a wink and a thumbs up. He groans audibly, "Get back to work!"

/

"You can stop hiding from a little girl, she's gone," Lorelai smirks as Michel breathes a sigh of relief, "Thank God!"

Paris had been at the inn with Lorelai for one of their weekly chats. As irritating as Paris could often be, Lorelai felt bad for her. Without Rory, the poor kid was lost. Sookie peeked out from the pantry, "Just tell me she isn't sending back another plate? I don't think I can handle another reject today."

"Sook, she's gone! Jeez, you guys are terrible! She's completely lost without Rory, I feel bad."

Michel just rolls his eyes and Sookie shakes her head, "It's the hormones. You're feeling very nurturing right now, I remember those days! I was singing lullabies to Jackson's zucchini squash because I thought they looked lonely."

Lorelai sighs, "Oh my god, this is not the same thing! Okay, yes, I might be feeling a little more like 'mommy-ing' right now, but I will take care of Paris. If she annoys you guys this much we will go somewhere else. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Michel grins.

"That's a huge relief. Because I've got a lot of work to do! We have a ton of planning to do for that wedding next week, the menu's a mess--and the cake! I was thinking about doing a red velvet cake, but I don't know. And I'm using this wedding as a trial run, so it has to be perfect," Sookie rapidly explains.

"A trial run for what?"

Sookie tilts her head as if the answer was obvious, "For your wedding. Have you and Luke set a date yet?"

Lorelai shrugs, "We haven't picked anything yet. I know we're waiting until after the baby gets here, maybe even a while longer. It just doesn't feel right to make these kinds of plans with Rory... you know."

She puts a comforting hand on Lorelai's shoulder, "Yeah, I get it. I think we're all just a little overly enthused about you and Luke finally getting hitched. And after the whole Max thing..."

"This is not going to be another Max thing! Luke and I _are_ getting married, for sure, no question about that. We just aren't rushing into it, because I'd rather not look like I ate my weight in burritos in my wedding photos," she says dryly, rubbing her belly. She still wasn't noticeably pregnant yet, it still just looked like a little bloat.

Sookie grins, "Oh! You're gonna be so cute with a belly!"

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "You, my friend, did not see me when I was pregnant with Rory. I was huge and miserable. Totally not cute."

"That's not true, I've seen pictures! It was all in your head," Sookie says, flashing her a mischievous grin, "If I remember right, right around now is when you're probably wanting a little extra lovin'-touchin'-squeezin' huh? I bet that's one thing Luke is pretty happy about..."

"It hasn't totally kicked in yet, but Luke did notice the increase in size of _these_ puppies, so I told him to buckle up, because I'm about to become a massive horn-dog at any given moment," Lorelai smirks. 

Sookie giggles, “The one thing about pregnancy the dads can enjoy.” 

Lorelai shakes her head, “Not true, my friend. Luke’s really been loving all the nausea and mood swings too,” she deadpans.

“Well, then he’s one of the rare ones.”

“We always knew he was.” 

/

The following week was busy for both Luke and Lorelai. It was peak Little League season, so the diner was constantly packed. Lorelai was getting the inn ready for the wedding that would be held there, taking note of colors and dresses and foods they chose, getting ideas for her own big day later down the road. Luke was back at home talking with Tom, their contractor, when Lorelai walked up. 

“Talking about how pretty I am again? Oh, get a new subject, boys,” she says, tossing her hair. 

Luke smiles, “What are you doing home?” 

“Well, I have to be at the inn late tonight. So I thought I'd come and feed Paul Anka, take him for a little walk, work out our crosswalk issues,” she explains, as the mutt trots over, happy to see her.

He nods, “Uh, we do have a slight problem—”

“It’s not my fault!” Tom jumps in, cutting Luke off. 

“I wasn’t going to say it was your fault.”

Tom scoffs, “Your tone had ‘it’s Tom’s fault’ written all over it.” 

Luke sighs, “A pipe was hit that shouldn’t have been, and now your water’s being turned off for a couple days. But, luckily we can go stay at the apartment for the time being.”

Lorelai isn’t thrilled about the snag, but she brushes it off, “Well, alright. I have that wedding party at the inn, so it’s going to be a late night for me.” 

“I can gather up some of your stuff,” Luke offers.

Lorelai smirks, “No way, buddy. The last time you gathered up some of my stuff, you accidentally brought me four bras and no pants.”

“That could have been intentional,” Luke says, his eyes raking her body. 

She leans in to give him a quick kiss, “I will get my own stuff, thank you.” She starts walking towards the house, but backtracks. “Hmmm. Now, I just have to figure out what to do with Paul Anka. You know, I've never left him alone so late before, and he might start doing that howling thing the neighbours are _so_ fond of.” Lorelai lingers, hoping Luke would soon catch on. “But... well, that's okay. So... Oh! You know, I guess I could just leave him here and I can come back and get him after work, which will be, I don’t know, two, three, _four_ in the morning maybe? Boy. Late.” 

Luke watches her in amusement, knowing exactly what she’s getting at, but he wants to see how long she’ll babble. 

“Or, I could drop him off at a kennel for a few hours. I know there's a good one in Woodbridge, like twenty miles away. Of course, I'd have to leave now and pick up some dilithium crystals on the way to fix the warp drive in my jeep so that I could drive there and back in time to meet the wedding party back at the inn, but that's doable. Yeah... and then, of course, by the time I get off work and drive all the way back there—“

“I really wanted to see how long you’d keep going,” Luke chuckles, finally cutting her off. 

Lorelai sighs, “You know my babbling skills are infinite!” 

“I'll take the dog to the apartment with me. And points for the dilithium-crystal reference,” he says, smirking as she walks into the house. 

She turns around and gives him a wink, “Well, when you sleep with geeks...” 

/

Luke had just finished closing the diner when he went upstairs to his old apartment, where Paul Anka had been for the last couple hours. He had been quiet, which made Luke suspicious. He opened the door and immediately saw all the garbage strewn about the kitchen, and Paul Anka lying listlessly on his side. He sighs loudly, “Oh, man. Wow, you are sure fun to have around.” 

He starts cleaning up, and comes across a mangled packaging of baking chocolate, complete with slobber and teeth marks. “Oh, no. Oh, crap. Oh, god. Tell me you didn't. Tell me you didn't,” he leans down to see if he could smell chocolate on Paul Anka’s breath, “Oh, jeez!”

Before he knew it, Luke Danes was pounding on a stranger’s door, while Paul Anka lay limp in his arms.

The vet opens the door, clearly just out of bed, and Luke breathes a sigh of relief. 

“Thank god! This dog ate chocolate. And I don't know a lot about dogs, but I do know they shouldn't eat chocolate—and I went to the animal hospital, and they were closed, so I called Babette and she told me where you lived and you got to do something! Because this is not my dog. This is my fiancé's dog. My _pregnant_ fiancé’s dog. She loves him. She named him ‘Paul Anka,’ which may on the surface not seem like a sign of love, but if you knew her, you'd get it—and believe me, there are a lot of ways I could screw up, but I cannot lose her over the fact I killed her dog!” 

The vet stares at him, wide eyed. He’d never heard a rant quite like this one before. He took in the poor sick pooch, and the equally sickened diner owner and immediately stepped aside, “Come on in. I’ll get the ipecac.” 

/

Lorelai feels the bed shift, and Luke gets up to get a drink of water. She rolls over and smiles, “Hey.” 

“Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep,” he says softly.

She sits up and shrugs, “It’s okay, I have to pee anyways, all thanks to little Baby Danes here,” she rubs her stomach affectionately, “And we like to watch daddy hydrate.” 

He smiles a little, shaking his head, “Oh, man... What time did you get home last night? I don’t even think I heard you come in.”

“You were konked out pretty good,” she looks toward Paul Anka, “Both of you.” 

Luke anxiously runs his hand along the back of his neck, “Yeah...”

“How’d it go with Paul Anka last night?” she asks as she rolls out of bed. 

He sighs, bringing his gaze to the dog, “Well, first off, he ate three _pounds_ of unsweetened baking chocolate, so I had to rush him to the vet—to his _house_ because the animal hospital was closed, and he forced some sort of vomit-inducing medicine down Paul Anka's throat, and then Paul Anka proceeded to throw up for the next hour and a half.” 

Lorelai stares at him with concern, her mouth slightly ajar. 

“After that I sat with him for another couple hours, holding a bowl of water under his nose to make sure that he was re-hydrating properly, and then I chocolate-proofed the diner, the apartment and I’ll do the house later today, so this never happens again. And now, I'm gonna go downstairs and make Paul Anka some scrambled eggs because the vet said that the kibble is gonna be a little hard on his stomach for a couple of days. Does he have any particular fear of cheddar? Cause I thought I'd throw that in to make it taste better.”

She’s looking at Luke with an adoring smile, and he immediately gets bashful, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” 

Lorelai makes her way over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, “Luke.”

“Yes?” 

“You are going to be _such_ an incredible dad,” she smiles. 

“Well, as long as the kid doesn’t get into any baking chocolate—I think we’ll be fine,” he says, realizing how last night’s little scare really did feel like being a parent, “Jeez, if this is parenthood, I don’t know if I’m ready.”

Lorelai strokes his unshaven cheek with her thumb, “You’ll be ready, Luke. It seems scary when you think about all the different scenarios and the horror stories other parents will share with you,” she pauses, breathing a happy sigh, “But once you hold that baby in your arms... it just all makes sense. You’ll still be scared as hell, but, it makes sense.” 

Luke kisses her forehead and she gives his shoulder a squeeze before disappearing into the bathroom. He looks to Paul Anka, who stares up at him with sheepish eyes. Luke shakes his head, squatting down to the canine, “Did you learn your lesson? No more chocolate!” 

Paul Anka lowers his head, a little whimper echoing out of him. Luke can’t help but smile, and he pets his head softly, “Now, how about those cheddar eggs?”


	10. The Lorelais' First Day of Godmothering

When Luke arrives home late that afternoon, the house is quiet, but Lorelai's Jeep is parked in the driveway, so he knows she's home. He's half expecting her to pop out of nowhere and pounce on him, solely based on the amount of times she’d wrangled him into the bedroom--and anywhere else she could get her hands on him, including the supply room at the diner, over the past couple of weeks. 

Paul Anka comes around the corner, going to Luke immediately. The canine runs around him, barking and spinning, while Luke watched in confusion. Paul Anka finally stands in the entry way, giving Luke two loud barks, clearly wanting the diner man to follow him. 

"Okay, okay! Jeez, I'm coming," he replies, watching as Paul Anka scurries into the den. He follows him into the makeshift bedroom, where Lorelai was sitting on their bed, crying. Luke's heart immediately sinks. He starts thinking the worst as he rushes toward her, wrapping his arms around her body. 

"Lorelai--are you okay?! What's wrong? Is the baby okay?" he pants, his pulse quickening with every second she doesn't reply. She doesn't say anything except point to the clothing rack they'd set up as their temporary closet. Luke looks to where she's pointing and spies a crumpled pile of jeans. He picks them up and he begins to suspect why she's upset. 

"They don't fit!" Lorelai cries, wiping away the tears with her palm, "I'm so fat!" 

Luke breathes a sigh of relief, incredibly grateful she was only upset about her favorite jeans not fitting anymore. He plops down next to her, tipping up her chin so she'll look at him, "You are beautiful, Lorelai. And you are growing our baby. Your favorite jeans will fit again eventually."

Lorelai's belly had noticeably popped when she hit seventeen weeks. She was still tiny, but today was officially the day she couldn't get her jeans to button. Luke thought she looked incredible, even though she constantly protested it. It felt way more real to him now, finally being able to see the visible signs of his child growing inside of Lorelai. 

"Are you sure...?" she sniffles, as Paul Anka jumps on the bed, curling up next to her. 

Luke gives the mutt a warning glance, but allows him to remain tucked into Lorelai's side, "I’m positive. And hey, we'll stop in Hartford after your appointment on Wednesday, and I will let you drag me to as many stores as you want, until you find the perfect pair of jeans to replace these with."

Lorelai gives him a small smile, "You promise? As many as I want?"

"I’ll probably regret it, but yes, I promise," he kisses her forehead, and she sinks into his side. "You should be bouncing off the wall with excitement—we're just days away from finding out if you’re right, you know."

Lorelai grins, "Sorry, you'll have to be more specific because I'm always right."

He rolls his eyes, "If we're having a boy or a girl?"

"Oh, that! I still think I'm right," she pulls her t-shirt up to expose her baby bump, and runs her hand along the swell, "Is mommy right? Are you going to be a little ballerina? Or are you going to be a little flannel-wearing baseball player?" she coos, her voice raising several octaves. 

Luke leans back on an elbow, running a hand across her belly, "She could be a flannel-wearing softball player, you know?"

"Well, if daddy has his way, she very well might be," Lorelai says, puckering her lips to kiss him. "I hope they'll actually be able to tell. Rory was a proper lady and didn't expose herself in any of my ultrasounds. That's why I never found out until the day she popped out."

Luke keeps rubbing small circles on her belly, "Knowing who their mother is, I won't be surprised if they decide to keep us waiting," he jokes and she glares at him. 

"As if you aren't Mr. Stubborn," she chides, rubbing a spot on her lower back. Luke notices and his brow knits with suspicion, "You okay?"

She nods, "Yeah, I just have a little backache. With everything shifting around down there, back pain is pretty normal."

His hand reaches for the spot she was rubbing, "How about a back massage?"

Lorelai breathes a sigh of delight, as he hits just the right spot. "That would be... incredible," she pauses, throwing him a wicked grin, "Although, every time you've offered to give me a massage, it turns into a lot more than _just_ a massage."

"God help me," he jokes, kissing her passionately. 

"Paul Anka... skedaddle!" 

/

"A bath?! A baptism is _nothing_ like taking a bath!" Sookie says, completely exasperated.

Jackson brings a hand to his temple, "I'm not saying it's a bath! I'm just saying if you don't believe in the religious aspect of it, then it's like a bath. As simple and as brief as a bath!"

Lorelai walked into the Dragonfly kitchen to find the couple dramatically arguing, arms failing and all. She sets her mug of decaf coffee on the counter and lowers herself onto a stool, "Who's getting baptized?"

Sookie finally acknowledges she's in the room, sighing as she turns to her, "Oh, our kids are! Because apparently we're suddenly _super_ religious!"

"No kidding," Lorelai says, "Now, can someone hand me that muffin?"

The two of them ignore her, continuing their ranting. "Sookie, look at the baptism as a bargaining chip. If we give my mother this, then it'll soften the blow when she finds out we're not having any more children!"

"They'll want to stay at the _house_ if we have this baptism. Your _whole_ family," she emphasizes.

"We'll just have to make room!"

Sookie groans, "How? The house is barely big enough for us and the kids! We'll end up sleeping on a leaky air mattress in the kids' room while your mother blasts her ‘Flatt And Scruggs’ CD! And your cousin's are going to be picking their teeth with my Reida paring knives!"

Lorelai steps in, forgetting about her desire for the muffin, and instead, attempting to stop the madness. "Hey, hey! I have an idea. If you're gonna have the baptism and you don't want all that family invading your house, why don't they just stay at the inn?"

"That would really help," Jackson says, finally relaxing.

"Are you sure it'd be okay?" Sookie asks.

Lorelai grins, "Sook, you're part owner of this place. You can do whatever you want."

Sookie giggles, "Oh, yeah, that's right. Well, okay! Ooo! If we have to do this, at least I’ll get a post-baptism luncheon out of it. I have some new late-summer salad recipes I’ve been dying to try out!"

"Excellent. Now, I'm headed to Hartford for my appointment. Big day today," Lorelai says, grinning from ear to ear and pushing herself up from the stool. 

Sookie squeals in delight, "Oh! With all this baptism craziness, I almost forgot! You find out if it'll be a little Luke or a little Lorelai!"

Lorelai snags the muffin she'd been eyeing on her way out, "Either way, the kid will be wearing flannel if Luke has any say in their future wardrobe."

/

She's dragging him along by one hand, while his other was carrying the several shopping bags she'd already managed to rack up. He didn't care though. He was all but floating through the Hartford Shopping Mall after Lorelai's appointment. 

"Oh! Luke! Look at how cute this is," Lorelai squeals, holding up a tiny pink, white, and grey flannel. "She _needs_ this!"

 _She._ It was official. He was about to be the father of a little girl, and he couldn't be happier. The minute Dr. Price turned to the couple with a twinkle in her eye, Luke knew. _"You'll have to add another tally in the 'Lorelai's right' column,"_ she said with a big smile. Everything went smoothly, and Baby Girl Danes was right on track where she needed to be. 

He grins and hands her the plastic card, "That is pretty cute."

Lorelai pecks a kiss on his cheek and is off toward the cash registers. Luke was glad to see her genuinely happy again. He knew she was still aching for Rory to come home. He knew she'd give anything to be able to call her daughter up and tell her she was going to get a little sister. But, time had a funny way of working, this he knew well. Rory would come back around eventually.

She comes back, handing him the shopping bag and linking her hand in his. "Okay, so I was thinking, you could go to the flannel warehouse, or wherever you buy all your 'man stuff' while I do a little secret shopping."

"Eddie Bauer--and what do you mean _secret_ shopping?" 

"You'll find out later," she taunts, kissing him before turning to walk away. She stops and spins back around to face him, "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you happy?"

He can't hide his smile, "Yeah, Lorelai. I'm really happy."

She meets his gaze, her eyes sparkling, "Me too."

/

After Luke and Lorelai arrive back home, Luke starts dinner while Lorelai takes Paul Anka out for a quick walk. It was a beautiful summer evening, so she stops at the park and lets Paul Anka off his leash. He sniffs at several trees, presumably choosing one to use the bathroom on. Lorelai pulls out her cell phone while she waits, bringing up Rory's contact. She stares at the screen; it was a picture of her and Rory on their trip to Europe. They had such a great time that summer. Lorelai finally brings herself to press the 'call' button and puts the phone up to her ear. It rings once, and goes right to the operator message. _"We're sorry. You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service..."_

She brings the phone back down, ending the call. Lorelai double checks the number, and tries again, only to get the same operator message. Rory must have gotten a new phone. It bothers Lorelai that she didn't even give her the new number. What if there was an emergency? She'd have no way to reach her daughter. 

Lorelai calls Paul Anka and he trots over to her, his ears flopping as he ran. She hooks the leash back on his collar and they head back to the house. When she opens the door, she's greeted by the heavenly aroma of Luke's cooking. 

"Mhmmm. Something smells incredible," she sing-songs, walking into the kitchen. Lorelai wraps her arms around his waist from behind, kissing his shoulder.

Luke smiles, "Lasagna. I thought we'd celebrate with one of your favorites."

"Thanks. I need a little pick-me-up," Lorelai replies, a tinge of sadness in her tone. Luke turns toward her, his free hand on her waist, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Lorelai sighs, "I tried calling Rory. I thought, you know, at least I should try to get a hold of her. Maybe even tell her about her little sister, but, I guess her number is no longer in service," she pauses, tucking her hair behind her ear, "I just thought she'd _want_ to give me her new number at least, I mean, what if something happened? How would I reach her? And going to Mr. and Mrs. Manson is not an option."

Luke runs a comforting hand along her back, "I know you miss her. I do too. I want her to be involved in this just as much as you do, but like you've said over and over, we can't force her into anything. She's an adult, and she made a mistake. She needs to own up to it. And you tried, Lorelai."

She sighs, releasing the tension she was carrying, "Yeah, I tried. I guess that’s all I can do."

They take their plates out to the porch, and Paul Anka follows, curling up nearby. The sun was a golden orange, about to set as they finished eating. Lorelai curled up in Luke’s arms, a blanket spread over their laps as they admired the gorgeous view. 

Lorelai looks up at him, a content smile on her face, “We’re having a girl, Luke.” 

He looks down at her, smiling as he presses a kiss to her forehead, “I know. I can’t wait. She’s going to be so beautiful, just like her mom.” 

She takes his hand and presses it to her belly, her own hand on top of his. “Now the fun stuff can start. Painting her room, picking out names,” Lorelai grins, “Lorelai Number Three.” 

Luke snorts, rubbing her baby bump, “Three Lorelai’s? Won’t that get to be a little confusing?” 

“Maybe. I remember Rory getting confused in preschool, because they called her ‘Lorelai’ and she kept saying that wasn’t her name, it was her mommy’s name,” Lorelai sighs, thinking about young Rory. “God, I miss her, Luke.” 

He holds her tighter and he feels her start crying into his chest. Tears over Rory became more frequent nowadays. The smallest memory could set Lorelai off. But each time, Luke was there for her, to let her cry it out against his chest, or watch some silly movie with her to get her mind off things.

She sniffles, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, "I'm sorry--I'm such a freak right now."

"You never need to apologize for feeling your emotions, Lorelai," Luke reassures her, "This is a tough situation--for all of us."

Lorelai snuggles against him, "Listen to Dr. Phil over here," she grins, kissing his chest, "I'll be okay. I'm sorry you've been stuck in the middle of all of this."

He brushes her hair with his fingers, "I'm sorry I couldn't do more to help in the first place. I still think we should have tried the whole kidnapping idea Paris and I had."

"What an unlikely and slightly disturbing alliance," Lorelai muses, looking down when she feels a nudge against her leg. Paul Anka stared up at her, his fluffy tail wagging when she finally noticed him. Lorelai smiles and pats the spot next to her, "Come up here, you." The canine hops up on the couch, licking her cheek, to make sure she was okay. 

"Oh, aren't you the sweetest emotional support pooch in the whole wide world," she chirps, petting Paul Anka's head. After deeming Lorelai to be okay, he tucks into her side, sighing contently.

"He's sweet, isn't he Luke?"

Luke gives Paul Anka a scratch with his free hand, "He's... growing on me. _Growing_ being used very loosely."

"Ah-ha! And Luke's small heart grew three sizes that day," Lorelai sing-songs.

He rolls his eyes, "Did you really just quote Dr. Seuss?"

"Are you at all surprised?"

"Not really."

/

Lorelai and Michel stood behind the front desk, sorting out which of Jackson's family members would be in what rooms. "Put Cousin Rachel in room three and Aunt Pat and Uncle Rusty in room six."

Michel sighs dramatically dropping a key into an envelope. "Uh, that's two people in room six. They're gonna need two keys," Lorelai tells him, slightly irritated by his attitude that morning.

"I gave them _one._ They can share. It's the least the freeloading hicks can do," Michel piqued.

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "They're not freeloading hicks. They're our guests."

"They are moochers! They go supermarket hopping to gorge themselves on free samples and get their perfume from magazine inserts. You can recognize them from the paper cuts on their wrists!"

"Oh my god--you're annoying the pregnant lady again!" Lorelai chides, waving him off. Sookie and Jackson rush into the lobby nervously. "Hey guys! Everything should be ready to go, all they have to do is check in."

Sookie smiles, giving her an awkward thumbs up, "Great! So great... did you tell 'hmm-hmm' about 'hmm-hmm,'" she gestures at Jackson. 

He shakes his head, "I thought you told 'hmm-hmm' about 'hmm-hmm'?" Jackson says, in the same manner.

Lorelai leans forward on the desk, shooting both of them a confused look, "Why do I get the feeling I'm one of the 'hmm-hmm's'?

Jackson sighs, "Lorelai, do you remember my brother Bo?"

"Uh, dark hair... coarse stubble... Jefferson Davis tattoo?"

"That would be the one," Sookie says, wringing her hands.

"He thinks you're a nympho," Jackson admits, not daring to look her in the eyes.

Lorelai grimaces, "What?"

Sookie looks up at her with guilty eyes, "It's short for nymphomaniac--it means you really 'dig' the fellas..."

"I know what it means, but how?! I didn't even say two words to the guy when I met him! I said one, 'Hi,' and that was not in response to 'What's your sex drive like?'" Lorelai cringes, "Whatever. I'm an engaged woman now...with a baby on the way..." she pauses, "Oh my god, the baby so does not help my case," she groans, rubbing her belly. 

"His family, not mine!" Sookie says, throwing her hands up in surrender. The front door opens and Jackson's family comes flooding through, toting a lot of luggage for just three days. Jackson and Sookie exuberantly greet them, trying to act as normal as possible. A dark haired man with a thick mustache and sunglasses strides through the door and over to the front desk. "Well hello, LG..."

Lorelai tries to control the grossed out expression on her face, "Welcome to the Dragonfly."

"Welcome to Bo," he says, pulling off his sunglasses seductively. 

"Hmmm, nice sunglasses. Very _Risky Business_ ," she says, pulling out registration papers.

He raises a brow, "Are you into risky business?"

Lorelai pulls back, cringing, "No! All of a sudden I hate it. Tom Cruise in his underwear makes me wanna barf," she pauses, plastering a fake smile on her face, "Now, would you like to register?"

"I would love to," Bo continues to give her what he deems a seductive stare and signs his name. Lorelai looks down, blinking as she notices what he signed. "You signed the blotter, Bo."

He corrects it, his eyes raking her body, "I'm staying in room seven, princess."

"I know, Bo. I'm the one who gave you your room number," Lorelai says with irritation. 

"Room seven," he repeats, giving her a little wink as he turns to walk away.

"I'm pregnant, Bo! Pregnant and _engaged,_ " she emphasizes, waggling her left hand at him.

He shrugs, "That's not a deal breaker to me."

Lorelai gags as he walks off, Jackson and Sookie watching sheepishly, "We are so, so, _so_ sorry," she says, biting her lip. 

She sighs, smoothing her navy floral print wrap dress over baby bump, "I am so sorry you had to hear that, peanut."

Sookie reaches out for her arm, "Hey, do you have minute?"

Lorelai nods, "As long as we never have to bring up that conversation, ever again, for as long as I live."

Sookie leads her over to the sitting room, and the two of them take a place on the couch. "Well, I was wondering if you would honor me and Jackson by being Martha's godmother?"

She sighs happily, completely overwhelmed by her best friend's sweet offer, "Oh wow! I never really thought of myself as the godmother type... do I need a wand?"

"I think you can pull it off without it," Sookie giggles.

"Aw, wow. I'm touched, really," Lorelai says, patting her knee. Sookie grins, "Yeah! Great! Oh, I'm so happy you said yes. And we're baptizing both kids at once, so Davey's going to need a godmother too, so I thought, 'How about Rory?!'" 

There it was, the catch. Lorelai immediately felt her pulse quicken, "Rory, huh?"

"I thought it would be fun! And, well, I know it's weird between the two of you right now, but I'm really not close with anyone else but you two," Sookie explains, hoping Lorelai will understand.

Lorelai doesn't say anything, and absentmindedly runs her hand along her belly. Sookie's face turns downward, and she shrugs, "Listen, if you don't want to do it, or if you don't want me to ask Rory, I'll totally understand. I'm sure Jackson will too. And Martha..."

"No, no. It's okay. I'll do it," Lorelai says, forcing a smile.

Sookie immediately envelopes her in a hug, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! It's gonna be a perfect day!"

Lorelai nods, watching her friend walk off happily. She sighs, thinking about having to face Rory this weekend in such close proximity for _so_ many hours. She leans back into the couch, cupping her hand under the swell of her stomach, "We're going to see your big sister this weekend. Wish mommy luck."

/

Luke had just gotten into bed, and was sitting up against the headboard waiting for Lorelai to get out of the bathroom. He was halfway through one of Lorelai's pregnancy books, which she didn't hesitate teasing him about. Minutes later, she flounces out of the bathroom, wearing her pink satin bathrobe. Luke looks up from the book, and she pauses in the entry way of the den, leaning against the wall seductively. 

"Hey, big daddy..." she says, her voice sultry. She starts fiddling with the tie on her bathrobe, as Luke smirks, "What are you up to now?"

Lorelai grins, going to the foot of their bed, "Well, you remember when I told you I had to do some secret shopping?"

He nods, "Yeah...?"

"While you were getting chummy with Eddie Bauer, I was learning all of Victoria's secrets," Lorelai smiles, untying her robe and letting the piece of satin fall to the ground to reveal her new, black and tan lingerie. She looked flawless in the lacy babydoll, which highlighted her new assets--something Luke did not mind in the slightest. 

"It seems that Victoria has very few secrets left," he sighs contently, "You look so beautiful."

Lorelai crawls over to him, straddling his torso, "Thanks, hon. I thought I better get use out of this before little miss here gets too big," she pats her belly and presses a kiss to his lips. 

Luke smiles, "Oh, I think we'll find a use for it again, later down the road..."

She grins, "So you like...?"

He nods, kissing her neck, "Oh I _love_."

"Good. I thought you deserved a special little treat for being so wonderful to your incredibly hormonal, crazier than normal fiancé."

Luke runs his hands up the mesh of her babydoll negligee, "This is more than a little treat--this is the whole ten course meal."

/

As much as she tried to not let it bother her, she couldn't help but feel anxious about seeing Rory in a few hours. Lorelai was wide awake when her alarm goes off, and she silences it, going to the rack of clothes in the den. She pulls a couple dresses off and Luke rolls over as she does. 

"Which one goes better with a baby?"

Luke was still half asleep, "Which baby?"

"The one not currently stretching out my uterus."

"I like the green," Luke mumbles. 

Lorelai looks at it and then turns back to him, "Are you sure it's not too sheer? Because I'm gonna be in a church."

"It looks good from here."

She groans, lowering both dresses, "Oh, she is good! She is really, really good. This whole baptism thing is just a ruse to get me and Rory together. She's played me like a Stradivarius."

Luke adjusts his pillow, "So don't go."

"No! I can't just not go. She asked me to be Martha's godmother--you don't say no to that."

"Why?" he questions, barely coherent. 

"Because I know what she's doing! And she knows what she's doing. But no one else knows what she's doing, so on the slight chance that she's not doing what I think she's doing, which is actually just doing what she wants to do, then I will be the jerk who wouldn't be the godmother to her best friend's baby, 'cause she thought something was happening that wasn't! And that will be the story everyone remembers, understand?!" Lorelai says, exasperated.

"I like the green dress."

/

Lorelai was chatting with Sookie outside of the church when Jackson approached, clearly worked up. He explained that his mother informed him that he'd shoved a quarter up his nose the day of his baptism and had to be rushed to the hospital. So, Jackson would also getting baptized, much to the entertainment of his wife. Lorelai was only halfway listening to the conversation; she was too preoccupied with looking for Rory. 

She spies her daughter across the lawn, wearing a pretty cream-colored dress, no doubt the selection of Emily Gilmore. Sookie greets her excitedly before excusing herself to check on the kids. Before Lorelai can even say a word to Rory, Reverend Skinner ushers the two of them into his office, and starts asking them questions about their 'religious affiliations.' After stating that she had two 'Mary is my homegirl' t-shirts, and Rory threw out that she'd read 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe,' Reverend Skinner realized he wasn't going to get anywhere with the two of them. 

Even as the Gilmore girls were walking up to the front of the church, neither of them had yet to speak a word to the other. Lorelai starts thinking about _how_ Sookie possibly got Rory's number, considering her old phone number clearly wasn't working. She's brought out of her thoughts by Sookie, who nudges her, speaking in a hushed tone, "Lorelai? Why aren't you renouncing Satan?"

"I renounce him," she replies, giving Reverend Skinner a little nod. "Did you call Rory?" she whispers to Sookie.

Sookie glances at her in confusion, "What?"

"Did you call Rory on her cell phone when you asked her to be a godmother?"

Rory leans in, "What are you whispering about?"

Lorelai turns her head slightly in Rory's direction, "How come Sookie had your phone number?"

"What?"

"She called you to ask you to be here, which means she must have had your phone number," Lorelai says, slightly louder than she intended. Reverend Skinner pauses, "Excuse me, Lorelai?"

"I'm sorry, Reverend. Can you just give us a moment, please?" Lorelai says and gestures to Rory to follow her outside. 

Rory scoffs the minute they get outside, "What is wrong with you?!"

"Look, it's not like it's that big of a deal, okay? I wasn't going to call you up to chitchat or make a date to go shoe shopping or something. But, shouldn't a mother have a way to contact her daughter--at least in the case of an emergency? Or, maybe, if she wants to tell you the sex of your unborn sibling? That's why I tried calling you, Rory. I wanted you to know before anyone else, but I was stupid to think that you even cared."

Rory looks off into the distance, "You and Luke found out?"

"Yeah, we did. You're getting a little sister--it's a girl," Lorelai says nonchalantly, bouncing Martha slightly. 

"Oh."

Lorelai shakes her head, "I just think it's weird that you'd give Sookie your number and not me."

"I didn't give Sookie my new number! Sookie called _Grandma_ and she left me a note, and then _I_ called Sookie back. And I didn't get a new number, I lost my phone," Rory explains, irritated.

"If you lose your phone, you should suspend your service until you get a new one. That way, you get to keep the same number. Ever hear of that? It's ridiculous to get an entirely new number. No one gets an entirely new number!"

Rory rolls her eyes, "Well, next time, I will suspend my service--"

Sookie opens the church door, interrupting them, "Um... hi, guys. We kind of need the kids back..."

They break their gaze, each of them processing their hurts and frustrations as they make their way back into the church. Lorelai thought Rory would stick around after the ceremony, but she takes off shortly after saying her goodbyes. 

"Hey, I'm so sorry again, about the drama," Lorelai apologizes to Sookie at the post-baptism party that afternoon. 

Sookie smirks, "You always give me a good story to tell."

"Well, I aim to please," Lorelai says, putting a fork full of carrot cake in her mouth.

It's quiet for a moment, before Sookie looks at the ground nervously, "You know, I have a little confession to make."

Lorelai looks over at her, brow raised, "Oh, yeah?"

"I kind of asked you and Rory to both be godmothers because I thought it might kind of bring you back together to patch things up," she says quietly.

" _No_...!" Lorelai deadpans and Sookie gives her a little half laugh, "It didn't fool you, huh?"

"That it did not, my friend."

Sookie shrugs sadly, "We just feel awful about what's happened between the two of you, and I thought maybe, this would get you talking or something... I'm sorry it backfired."

"Rory and I talked, Sook. It wasn't the most constructive conversation, but at least we talked. I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me. Just enjoy the party," Lorelai reassures her. 

"Okay. I really am sorry," she says again, before going over to one of Jackson's cousins. 

Lorelai rests a hand on her stomach, absentmindedly rubbing the swell. She wanted Rory to be involved in her little sister's life. It was nearly impossible for her to imagine a world where she and Rory continued on living these separate lives. That was Lorelai and her mother's relationship, _not_ she and Rory's. This was nothing more than a slight hiccup, which would eventually get resolved. Lorelai saw it in her daughter's eyes that morning. The way her gaze lingered on Luke's Diner, before getting into her Prius. She missed her home. She wasn't happy living this new life full of event planning, spending time with women triple her age, wearing clothes chosen by her grandmother, and spending any free time she had following Logan around like a lovesick puppy. That was not her daughter. 

"Your big sister will come around. Don't worry, kiddo."


	11. We've Got Magic To Do

"Luke! Come on! Coffee and I are starving!"

He groans and gives Lorelai a warning glance as he pulls on his shirt, "We are _not_ under _any_ circumstance naming our baby 'Coffee.' I don't care how many drugs are in your system when she pops out--we are not naming our kid after your addiction." 

Lorelai smiles, sitting on the bed with a baby names book spread across her lap, while she waited for Luke to get ready for dinner at Sookie and Jackson's. She and Luke had been throwing names around for the past week, but they couldn't seem to agree on anything yet. Lorelai had gotten up to use the bathroom one early morning, and she came back to bed and woke a very startled Luke to inform him that she thought of the perfect name for their daughter. Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow naming her baby girl 'Apple,' Lorelai very exuberantly told him they should name Baby Girl Danes, 'Coffee,' which Luke immediately vetoed.

"But Luuuuuke! Think about the meaning behind that name! If it weren't for coffee, we might never have found each other," Lorelai protests.

He snorts, putting on his watch, "Okay, by that theory we could also name her 'Burger' or 'Pancake' or 'Cheese Fries.'"

She shakes her head at his statement, "Luke, you can't name a baby Pancake, that's just dumb."

"Are you ready to go, or not?" 

"Yes! I'm ready, Paul Anka's ready... and Coffee's ready," she chirps, patting her protruding middle.

Luke ushers her out the front door, the canine following behind. She really wasn't going to let go of this crazy name suggestion easily. It was times like this that he wished he had Rory here to talk some sense into her. But, knowing his luck, and Rory's addiction to the caffeinated beverage as well, she'd probably think it was a great idea, too. 

They arrive at Sookie and Jackson's and the four adults sit down to dinner, while Davey is hanging out in the living room watching TV. Sookie sits down across from Luke and grins brightly, "Alright, dig in everyone!"

Lorelai was already several forkfuls in, "Oh, I'm past digging. I'm burrowing... I wanna burrow right into these mashed potatoes. God, they're good!"

"They are really good, Sookie," Luke echoes, not quite as enthralled with the food as Lorelai. 

Sookie smiles, "Oh, thanks Luke!"

Jackson turns his attention to Davey, "Son, turn the volume down!"

The toddler glances in his direction, but quickly goes back to the TV. Sookie sighs, "Davey, you heard your father! Turn it down!"

Lorelai scoots back her chair, ready to stand up, "Oh, I'll turn it down."

Sookie quickly stops her, "No, we want him to do it."

"That's the only way he'll learn," Jackson echoes, "Come on now, turn the volume down!"

"Turn it down!" Sookie screeches.

Luke and Lorelai glance at each other, both of them thinking the same thing. _'Is this what having friends over for dinner will turn into after the baby gets here?'_ Lorelai looks down at Paul Anka, who looked equally as perturbed, "Really, are you sure you don't want me to--"

"He's got to learn," Jackson reiterates, "Davey, don't make me count to ten!"

Sookie jumps out of her chair, darting in the direction of the kitchen, "Ooo! I need a lemon slice."

Lorelai gets up and follows her, wondering if this is how meals had been in the Belleville home as of late. Sookie is slicing a lemon on the counter when she approaches, "Hey, you need something?"

"No, I'm good... so, how are you?"

Sookie looks at her with a confused smile, "I'm great! Should I not be great...?"

Lorelai shakes her head, "No! You should be great, that's great that you're great, really. I'm just wondering when the last time you and Jackson had a _quiet_ meal together? Alone. Without anyone blaring 'Sesame Street' for the whole block to hear."

She's quiet for a moment, and then Sookie sighs, "It really has been _way_ too long. Oh, god, I don't even remember the last time I used the bathroom without someone crying, or knocking on the door asking when I was coming back out," she pauses, staring into the dining room, "I love them so much, but--maybe Jackson and I _are_ a little burnt out."

"Well, I have an idea!" Lorelai says with a grin, "How about you and Jackson go out one evening to have some good old fashion 'grown-up time,' and Luke and I will babysit the kids! It'll be great practice for us."

Sookie's face lights up with the possibility of having a night away from home. "I definitely would not be opposed to that," she grins, "Don't you want to ask Luke before you sign him up for this?"

Lorelai makes a flipping motion with her hand, "Nah, he's fine. It'll take a little bit to get him into true Uncle Luke mode, but he'll secretly enjoy it, don't worry."

"Well, then we will take you up on that offer!" Sookie beams.

"Good! You know, I'm really just doing this so you and Jackson will feel obligated to watch this little peanut for Luke and I when we need some good old fashion grown-up time," Lorelai says rubbing her belly.

Sookie rolls her eyes fondly, "Start us a tab. Hey, did you make any headway on the insurance?"

There had been a small kitchen fire at the Dragonfly earlier that week, due to grease build-up and a poor ventilation system. Luckily, it was pretty minor and no one got hurt, but the kitchen was closed until further notice. Lorelai had struggled to contact the insurance company, and when she did, they simple told her that they had no idea what the Dragonfly in was, despite the monthly payments Lorelai made to them. 

"No, I got the same run around they gave Michel," she sighs, "So, tomorrow I will be calling you-know-who."

Sookie scowls, "I'm sorry. It really seems like our only option at this point."

Lorelai had no choice but to use her dad as leverage against the company. Richard was the one who helped set up the policy in the first place. She hadn't spoken to either of her parents since she showed up at their house in the middle of the night, dropping off the rest of Rory's things. She knew it was going to be incredibly awkward, but it was her last resort.

The girls return to the dining room, where Jackson was talking Luke's ear off about his new barbecue. Clearly, no progress had been made with Davey and the TV, but the second Sookie sits down, Martha starts crying. "Oh, Martha's up," she sighs, about to stand up again. 

Jackson stops her, "I'm on it. Turn the TV down, Davey! Turn it down!"

"Turn it down!" Sookie screeches. 

Lorelai reaches under the table and gives Luke's knee a little squeeze, a silent 'thank-you' for putting up with the chaos that the Belleville family often brought. His irritated expression softens, and he gives her a knowing smile before turning back to his plate. "So, anyone see that new TV show where they solve crimes by cutting bodies open and poking their organs last night?" Lorelai asks, abruptly changing the subject. "Oh, and pass the potatoes, please."

/

Lorelai anxiously paced the kitchen while she waited for her father and the person he was bringing with to inspect the damages. Richard hastily enters through the kitchen, "Lorelai, I hope it's all right walking in like this. I knew where the kitchen was, so I just figured I'd come back."

She notices him trying not to stare at her midsection; her pregnancy was very obvious at this point and he hadn't seen her in months. Lorelai realizes that he probably still sees her as that scared, expectant sixteen-year-old, instead of a grown woman with a ring on her finger.

"It's fine, Dad. Thanks for coming."

He nods to the man he brought along, "This is Harris. He'll do the inspection, get a lay of the land. It shouldn't take too long. I want to apologize for the red tape and the delay. As a rule, we don't take on small accounts like this except under extraordinary circumstances. Until the news reached my desk, no one was sure of what to do."

"Uh-huh."

Richard sighs, adjusting his watch nervously, "I can write you a check today. I figured that would please you."

She nods, "Terrific."

The silence is deafening, and Lorelai finally breaks it. "So, um, how's your big plan working out?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your big plan for Rory. How's that going, Dad?" she presses.

He looks to Harris to distract from her question, "Let me know if you need anything, Harris."

"Is she back at Yale?"

"Lorelai, I do not think it's appropriate to have this conversation now--"

She nods, "Okay, so the answer to that question is _no_..."

"No, she's not."

Lorelai taps her nails against the counter, "Huh. But a plan is in the works, right?"

Richard sighs, "We'll be here ten minutes."

"No--wait! Let me guess. You're gonna trick her into going back, right? Like you'll drive up and drop her off at Yale, then you'll drive away really quickly before she catches on. Is that one of the plans?"

"You're acting ridiculous. I'm here to do you a favor," Richard snaps.

Lorelai moves to the other side of the kitchen island, leaning her hip against it, "You see that family of Logan's recently? The... Hamburger's?"

" _Huntzburger's._ "

She smirks, "Oh, right, right. So how are the old Huntzburger's? They behaving any better than that night they humiliated your granddaughter?"

He's sick of hearing her conspiracy theories against Logan's family, "They did not humiliate her."

"Rory said they did."

"I _know_ the Huntzburger's. They're fine people. What happened that night was a misunderstanding, because they have nothing against Rory!"

Lorelai shoots him a snarky glance, "Well, then that granddaughter of yours, what a liar."

"Harris! Take a couple pictures and we'll go. We just need the quote from your contractor in writing. Send all his bills to me," Richard orders, grabbing a folder off the counter, "Goodbye, Lorelai."

"It's been lovely," Lorelai says, as the two men walk out. She huffs, taking a big brownie off of Sookie's desert tray. Clearly, nothing had changed since May, not that Lorelai was all that shocked. After seeing Rory at the baptism, she knew her daughter was still in the clutches of Emily Gilmore, based on her wardrobe alone. Lorelai cuts off a piece of the brownie popping it in her mouth. "Sookie! You need to make more of these, STAT!"

/

"Hi, hon! Dinner smells good," Lorelai says, as she enters the kitchen. Luke was at the stove and Paul Anka sat next to him, anticipating his burger. "Aw, look at my boys. Hanging out in the kitchen together."

Luke rolls his eyes, grabbing some garlic powder off the spice rack, "He still prefers rare plus, right?"

"He does. Once it hits medium-rare he refuses to touch it," she squats down to pet Paul Anka, and lets out a little gasp, her hand coming to rest on her stomach. 

Luke all but throws the wooden spoon he was stirring his pasta sauce with, "Lorelai, what's wrong?!"

She shushes him, and a smile appears across her face. She takes his hand and places it low on the right side of her belly, "Luke."

He doesn't know what she's getting at until he feels a little nudge against the palm of his hand. "Did--did _you_ do that?"

Lorelai laughs, "No, silly. That's her. That's our baby."

Luke can't remove his hand from the spot. He also can't wipe the giddy smile off his face, "That's...amazing."

"Isn't it? I've been feeling little movements for a while now, but this is the strongest one yet," Lorelai grins, kissing him softly. "Now that Coffee knows she has legs, I'm fully prepared to be kept awake for hours, while little miss practices to be a future Rockette."

Paul Anka makes himself known, and Luke pops up, remembering the canine's burger, "Aw crap, medium-rare, not rare plus! I'll make him a new one."

Lorelai giggles, stroking Paul Anka's back, "You are so spoiled, yes you are," she coos.

As Luke is taking out new hamburger for Paul Anka, he notices a flier on Lorelai's fridge, "Miss Patty's having a recital?"

Lorelai stands back up and meets him by the fridge, "Oh, yeah. It's her big annual show. All her kids in all her classes get to perform. It's be there or be square. Best show in town."

"It's a Thursday right? That's a good night. I can have Caesar close for me."

She looks at him in confusion, "Uh, why?"

"So I can go with you."

Lorelai laughs in disbelief, "Luke, come on. You do not want to go to this recital. It's a night of kids dancing, singing, twirling batons. You'll hate it."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will!"

He rolls his eyes, "Listen, it's not my first choice of entertainment, but I'll go."

"Luke, you've been sacrificing too much of yourself these past few months. You go with me to _my_ movies, you tag along when _I_ go shopping. And that dinner at Sookie and Jackson's? How you kept from killing us all, I'll never know," she says, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I haven't been complaining about any of this."

She kisses his cheek, "Exactly! And that has filled me with no end of guilt. You've been such a saint, through everything, but you've got to take time to do your Luke stuff, too. When was the last time you went camping, or fishing?"

"But you can't go camping right now. And you don't even _like_ camping or fishing."

"But that shouldn't stop you from going! I just don't want to burn you out, Luke. We all need time to ourselves, and I just feel like you haven't had Luke time lately. I can go to the recital with Sookie."

He considers what she was saying, and it was sort of true. He really hadn't done much without Lorelai since they moved in together. But, he _wanted_ to be with Lorelai. It wasn't like he was sick of her, or needed time away, like she was implying. But, maybe a night out in nature would be okay. "Well, alright, maybe I'll take off and do a little camping."

She kisses him before going to change out of her work clothes, "Good! Be Grizzly Adams and get it on with nature--I know, _dirty._ "

/

"Sookie, watch me walk. Do I have the waddle going on already?" Lorelai paces out in front of her friend, as they approached the dance studio. 

She laughs, "You are so paranoid! I can't even tell from the back that you're pregnant."

"Ha-ha. You are a comedian, my friend," Lorelai says, taking a program and walking down the center aisle. She and Sookie take seats near Babette, who waves enthusiastically, "Hiya sugah's! How's Stars Hollow's favorite mommy-to-be?"

Lorelai smiles, "Oh, she's thinking about cheese fries, and is hoping she won't have to get up and pee ten times during this," she rubs her belly, feeling her daughter softly press against her hand. Each kick and nudge she felt made her grow more and more in love with her baby girl. It was the same feeling she had when she was pregnant with Rory. Lorelai knew from Rory's first movements that she felt a love for her baby so deep, unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. 

"I bet you and Luke are gettin' excited!" Babette happily chirps, "That little girl's gonna be wrapped around Luke's finger!"

"She already is," Lorelai grins, "Last night he read her the Red Sox scores and finished it off with a very cute rendition of _Goodnight Moon._ "

Sookie's eyes light up, "Oh, I would pay _big_ money to see Luke reading a book to your stomach. Are you guys excited to watch my kiddos on Saturday?"

Lorelai nods, "Oh, yeah. Luke was a little hesitant at first, and he put on his big, tough, 'I'm a manly man' act, but I think he's pretty happy to get a little practice under his belt. The only kid he's ever had to watch was Jess. And Jess was basically a grown adult when he lived with him."

"He'll be a natural. Maybe a little rough around the edges at first, but he'll get the hang of it quickly. Davey's so excited. He keeps asking when 'Pa-lanka' is coming back over," Sookie says with a giggle.

"Wow, and no excitement for Auntie Lolo? I'm glad to know I left such an impact on the kid," Lorelai deadpans. Sookie rolls her eyes fondly, "Oh, you know Davey loves you. He's just going through a doggy phase right now. It's pretty adorable."

Lorelai peruses through the program, "It's good for Paul Anka, too. Luke and I want him to be adjusted to babies and kids before we bring one home--oh my god, _what_ is 'Pubic Speaking'?"

Sookie glances at her own program, cringing when her eyes reach it, "God, I really hope that's a misprint."

Miss Patty comes out to introduce the show and her intermediate students open the recital with 'Magic To Do' from the musical _Pippin_. It was cute until they came into the audience, which creeped both Lorelai and Sookie out; especially because the kids decided to shower them with not one, but two handfuls of glitter. As Lorelai watched some young ballerinas, she wondered if in a few years, her own little girl would be on this very stage. She's brought out of her fantasy when Kirk gets on stage, doing an act he performed twenty years ago, called 'The Journey of Man.' He's a couple minutes into the insanity, when Lorelai notices Luke's truck pull up across the street. 

"Hey, Sook--I'll be right back," she says quietly. 

"I'll catch you up when you get back."

Lorelai crosses the street and opens the door to the diner, where Luke was unpacking his camping equipment, "Whoa, why are you back? The woods closed or something?"

He chuckles and shakes his head, "No, they weren't closed. I was... I don't know. It is what it is. Nature."

She throws him a confused look, "Nature? Nature is...?"

"You know, I saw it. Trees, leaves, whatever."

Lorelai can tell he's irritated about something, and she's not leaving until she gets to the bottom of it. "Okay, that's your second answer in the form of a haiku. Uh, let's go beyond that. Why are you back?"

He shrugs, "Because I felt like coming back. I can't do what I want to do?"

She raises a brow, "But camping _is_ something you want to do..."

"No, it's what _you_ wanted me to do," Luke says pointedly, and she now realizes what he might be hinting at, "I'm just trying to understand why you tried to get rid of me tonight?"

Lorelai's suspicions were right. "I wasn't trying to get rid of you, I swear."

"Well, it felt like a banishment to me."

She sits down on a nearby stool, rubbing her belly as the baby began to squirm around, "Then I guess it is my fault."

Luke sighs, "Look... I like doing stuff with you. Kind of surprised I have to tell you that," he says, a hint of hurt in his tone.

Lorelai reaches out for his hand, running her thumb along his knuckles, "Hey, you don't have to tell me that."

"I like going shopping with you. I like having dinner with Sookie and Jackson. The _actual_ shopping seems a little pointless, and dinner at the Belleville house is like going twelve rounds with a grizzly bear, but you're there and I like hanging with you. I mean, I let you talk me into babysitting Sookie and Jackson's kids with you. If that's not true love, I don't know what is."

She smiles, "I know that."

"And, I could have been fun at this recital. You're probably sitting there mocking most of it. I can mock!" 

"Oh, you're a great mocker," Lorelai agrees, "I was only thinking of you when I mentioned the camping. You haven't been camping since we got together and I was feeling a little weird about it. You should do the things you like too," she pauses, "And I promise I was not trying to get rid of you. I want you to do whatever you want to do with me. I know that sounded dirty, and dirty things count, but I didn't mean the dirty things. You and me can hang whenever, wherever."

He leans in and kisses her lips softly, "Yeah, you're right. Maybe I was just being sensitive. It's not like I'm dying to see baton twirling."

Lorelai wraps her arms around his waist, "I'm happy to be with a man who isn't. Do you want to come back to the recital with me? Kirk's doing something strange and disturbing..."

"Nah, I think I'll go back out camping. I might even do some fishing," he says, kissing her forehead. 

She smiles, "Good."

"Yeah, good."

Lorelai gives him one last kiss goodbye, but turns around before she goes out the door. "Hey, Luke? Maybe when Coffee's old enough, we can try a little family camping trip? I promise I won't even complain about the bugs, or make any _Little House on the Prairie_ jokes."

He rolls his eyes at the use of the ridiculous name, but he can't help but smile over her suggestion, "I think that would be great."


	12. Welcome to the Dollhouse

"Your favorite Aunt and Uncle, babysitting extraordinaire's have arrived!" Lorelai announces upon getting to Sookie and Jackson's. Paul Anka peeked around Lorelai's legs, still a little unsure about the tiny humans. Davey spies him and toddles over, "Pa-lanka!"

Lorelai squats down next to her dog, holding his collar so he can't run, "Davey, can you pet Paul Anka? Be nice and gentle." The little boy reaches out and carefully pats Paul Anka's head, "Nice doggy," he says, giggling as Paul Anka licks his cheek. 

"He likes you, Davey! He's giving you kisses," Lorelai grins, letting go of Paul Anka's collar. Much to her delight, the canine stays put, clearly enjoying the attention from the now deemed 'safe' little person. 

Jackson enters the living room with Sookie, carrying Martha in his arms. "Luke, Lorelai, thanks again for doing this. I can't even begin to explain how grateful we are," Jackson says, passing Martha to Lorelai. 

"No problem! Just remember us in a few months," Lorelai says with a wink. "Hi, pretty girl!" she coos, bouncing Martha in her arms, "You are getting so big aren't you?"

Luke couldn't help himself from smiling at his fiancé. It was obvious how naturally great Lorelai was with kids, not that it surprised Luke in the least. It made him even more excited for their daughter to arrive. Sookie and Jackson thank them again, kiss their kids goodbye, and then giddily rush out of the house. Lorelai smirks as the door closes, "How much do you wanna bet they do it in the car before they even make it to the restaurant?"

He shoots her an embarrassed look, "Lorelai! Not in front of the kids!"

"Oh, stop. They don't know what that means," she tickles Martha's belly, and the baby giggles adorably. "Isn't she cute, Luke?"

He nods, "That she is." 

Davey rushes over and pats Luke's leg, "Unc-Luke!" He squats down, so he's closer to eye-level with Davey, who points toward the toy room. "Got tools!"

Luke smiles and follows the toddler into the other room and Lorelai watches the boys with a loving smile on her face. Paul Anka looks up at Lorelai, cocking his head, as if to say, _'Do I go to?'_ She walks toward the toy room, patting her leg with her free hand to signal Paul Anka to follow. Davey was already showing Luke his toy tool box, complete with a belt and everything. Lorelai sits down on the floor next to them, Martha in her lap. 

"Wow, Davey! Now you need to be like Uncle Luke and come up with a name for your tool box," she smiles, referencing 'Bert' who had been affectionately named by she and Rory. Davey grins and holds up a toy hammer, "Pal-anka!"

Lorelai and Luke look at each other and smile. Their dog clearly had a big fan in the toddler. The evening went on without a hitch; Luke 'fixed' things around the house with Davey, made mac-n-cheese for dinner and then he and Lorelai took the kids outside to play on the swing-set before bed. Lorelai pushed Martha in her baby swing, while Luke showed Davey how to play fetch with Paul Anka. After several rounds of fetch, Paul Anka sat down in the grass, dropping the ball from his mouth and shot Luke a look that said, _'Dad, can we please be done?'_

They take the kids inside, and Lorelai gets Davey ready for bed, while Luke catches up on the highlights of the Red Sox game, Martha sleeping on his chest. Lorelai comes back downstairs with Davey, who was holding a couple books. "Well, it looks like someone has stolen my man," Lorelai says, sitting next to Luke. 

He looks over at her and smiles, "What can I say? I'm very popular with the ladies."

"Every lady loves a man in flannel," she says, pecking a kiss on his cheek. Davey sits between the two of them, holding up the first book, "Unc-Luke wead."

Lorelai giggles, ruffling his hair, "You want Uncle Luke to read? I happen to know he does a very good job." She takes Martha from him, settling the baby on her chest. 

Luke's face flushes, and he gets the book from Davey, "Alright, what do we got? _The Very Hungry Caterpillar._ " He reads through the story, using different voices, which Davey loved. Lorelai felt so content watching him with the toddler, getting a snap-shot into their future. When he was finished, Lorelai grins, "God, I can relate to that caterpillar," she says, rubbing her belly with her free hand.

Davey looks at her, and points to her stomach, "Big tummy."

Both Luke and Lorelai stifle laughter and she shakes her head, "Gee, thanks kid. Do you remember what's in my tummy?"

The little boy scrunches his brow, trying to remember what they told him. He suddenly lights up, remembering. "Auntie Lolo baby!"

"That's right! There's a baby in my tummy. Maybe your future girlfriend, buddy," Lorelai says with a wink.

Luke rolls his eyes, "Lorelai, don't even start--"

"What? Can't a girl dream?" she pauses, "Do you want to feel the baby, Davey?" He nods and Lorelai takes his tiny hand pressing it against her belly, where her daughter was currently kicking. Davey pulls it away quickly, squealing in surprise. He puts it back, and when he feels the baby again, he takes his hand away, giggling. Luke is watching in amusement, and reaches over to feel Lorelai's stomach, "She's pretty active tonight, huh?"

Lorelai nods, "Oh, yeah. Hopefully that means she'll tire herself out, so I won't get another 1 A.M. kick-fest like last night."

Luke reads Davey his second book, _The Poky Little Puppy,_ and the toddler falls asleep before the end of it. Lorelai and Luke take the kids upstairs putting them down for the night, before returning back downstairs. "Whew, I am beat. I forgot how tiring it can be looking after tiny people."

They sit down on the couch, and Luke pulls Lorelai's feet into his lap, giving her a foot massage. "Yeah, they sure are a lot of work. It was pretty fun though," he admits, shyly meeting her gaze. 

"You were so great with them. Davey loves you. And obviously, Martha finds you _very_ comfortable to nap on. I have to agree with her on that one," Lorelai says squeezing his shoulder.

"Well, I learned from the best," he says, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

"Oh, you my friend are trying to earn some extra lovin' tonight, aren't you?"

"No... that's the truth, Lorelai. You are the best."

She swings her feet out of his lap, and shifts over so she's curled into his side. "You are very sweet, my burger boy."

Luke kisses the top of her head, "Is that a hint?"

"Maybe..."

"I'll make you one as soon as we get home."

"Provolone cheese, three strips of bacon, barbecue sauce..." she mumbles, drifting off to sleep. Luke grabs a throw blanket off the back of the couch and spreads it over her. Lorelai breathes contently against his chest. Lately, Luke caught himself watching her while she slept, thinking about what features their daughter might get from her. Though Lorelai protests that she 'absolutely does not' look cute when she sleeps, he begs to differ. He finds himself placing a hand on her belly, feeling little movements every so often. It was still hard for him to believe he was living this life. That the woman he pined over for years, was now pregnant with his child. That they were engaged. Some days, Luke wondered if it was all some sort of a crazy dream and he'd wake up back in his apartment.

Luke must have drifted off, because he suddenly hears (loud) quiet chirps from Sookie, "Look at _them!_ They're so sweet together!"

He slowly opens his eyes, meeting Sookie and Jackson's gazes as they stood a few feet from the couch, fawning over them. "Oh jeez," Luke mutters, jostling just enough to wake up Lorelai, "Stop moving..." she mumbles, still in a sleepy state.

"Davey and Martha must have worn out the esteemed babysitters," Jackson says, laughing. 

Lorelai slowly sits up, "Hey, when the kids sleep you sleep..." she challenges, pushing herself up from the couch. "I have to pee, but when I come back, I want to hear all about your _romantic_ evening."

"Oh, it wasn't _that_ romantic," Sookie says with a knowing smirk. Luke groans and she giggles, "Sorry, Luke. How were the kids?"

He smiles, "They were great. It was definitely good practice for us."

"Good! I sure missed those rugrats, even though it was _amazing_ to get out of this house," Jackson says blissfully. 

Lorelai comes back into the living room and plops down on the couch next to Luke again, "Okay! I'm ready to hear all about it! But, maybe keep it PG so Luke doesn't have to cover his ears."

/

"Here you go, a scooped bagel, cream cheese, jam."

Lorelai smiles at the girl, "Thanks, Lane. You didn't happen to save the scoopings?"

Lane pushes a plate toward her, "Right here."

"I love you."

Lorelai stumbles upon a familiar face in the newspaper that morning. It was Rory. She was with other DAR members, and they were being praised for their 'show-stopping' event. "Hey, Lane--what do you know about this?" Lorelai puts the paper down on the counter and taps a finger against the photo.

Lane studies it and shrugs, "I don't know much. She told me she was super busy planning the thing, so I didn't hear from her at all last week. I guess it went well?"

Lorelai continues to stare at the picture, her daughter seeming to move further and further from the girl she used to know. "Oh. Okay. Well, that's good... you know, that it went well and stuff..."

Lane gives her a sympathetic smile, "Want me to smuggle you some real coffee?"

"You are incredibly awesome, but, nah, I should probably stick to decaf. Big daddy's over there watching."

"Have you guys decided on a name yet?"

Lorelai huffs, "No! I keep pushing for Coffee, but Luke will not budge. He's crushing my celebrity baby naming dreams--slowly and painfully."

"I mean, in all honestly, it is kind of cute. In a super weird, off-beat way. Could be pretty rock-n-roll too," Lane admits.

"Don't let Luke hear you say that or you'll be out of a job," Lorelai says, stuffing part of the bagel in her mouth. Luke comes over, standing on the other side of the counter from Lorelai, "Don't let Luke hear you say what?"

"That baseball caps and flannel are going out of style. Hey, you hear about the street names getting changed? Taylor wants us to return to our historic roots."

Luke shrugs, "Yeah, I heard about it."

Lorelai watches him in confusion. There was no hint of irritation, spite, hostility--nothing in his tone. "And...?"

"And? Change 'em all. Name 'em after cartoon characters. I'll be on 'Scooby Doo Lane.' It's all the same to me," he replies calmly. 

She gawks at him, "Who are you and what did you do to my man?"

"It's taken me a ridiculous amount of years, but when it comes to all things Taylor, I've adopted a zen attitude."

"Zen?"

He gestures outwardly, "Go with the flow, let the River Taylor take you where it may. Don't fight it, just let it happen."

Lorelai is still trying to figure out how he came to this great epiphany. "So, you just suddenly came to this new, 'zen' attitude?"

"Listen, I was reading in one of your books, that she can start picking up on different voices and tones pretty soon, so from now on, it's _only_ going to be soothing voices and soft tones."

While Lorelai thinks this is incredibly cute, it's also a bit of a stretch, especially for Luke. "But, what if Taylor wants to paint the diner pink for Easter like he did last year?"

"Then let the building be pink."

"But what if he decides we should all dress up as our favorite trees again for Arbor Day?"

"Wrap me in bark, fill me with sap, and tell me where to stand."

Lorelai sighs, rubbing her belly, "We're gonna miss Nuclear Luke," she pauses, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips, "That is very sweet, though. I can't wait to see how long it lasts."

He groans, "Lorelai..."

"Ah-ah-ah! Don't blow it so soon, buddy!"

/

"Richard, this came for you from your office. Why _I_ had to fetch it, I don't know. I'll have to once again remind Consuela it's part of her job," Emily rants, entering the living room, "What is it?"

"Just an insurance claim from the Dragonfly," he says nonchalantly, still consumed in the paper.

"A claim? What sort of a claim?" 

Richard glances up at her, "Oh, they had a small fire there last week."

"They had a _fire?!_ "

"Oh, don't get excited."

Emily places her hands on her hips as she paces, "Is Lorelai okay?!"

"She's just fine."

"Well, did you talk to her?! Did you see her? Face-to-face?"

He sighs, as he finally puts down the paper, "Yes, I saw her when I went over to the inn."

"How did she look?"

"She looked like Lorelai," he pauses, tapping his fingers against the arm of the chair, "It's certainly noticeable that she's expecting now."

Emily's face softens, "And...the baby?"

"Seems to be doing well. It's another girl, you know."

"Yes, Rory told me. It's certainly different this time around," Emily comments, a wave of emotion coming over her. Was it really any different this time? Sure, Lorelai wasn't sixteen, but her daughter _had_ yet again walked out of their lives. She'd probably keep this granddaughter from them this time around, too. Not that Emily could really blame her if she was being honest with herself. But she couldn't possibly show anyone that honesty. Was this how life was going to be from now on? Not even knowing the basic details of their future granddaughter's existence? Would Lorelai even bother to tell them when she had the baby? Emily finds herself on the verge of tears, and Richard notices. "Something wrong, Emily?"

She quickly turns her face, "No. I'm fine, Richard," she says, exiting the living room in a hurry. She goes upstairs and pulls a special shoe box that was tucked away in her closet amongst the Louboutin's and the Ferragamo's.

Emily opens the box and the first thing that greets her is the soft pink baby blanket they brought Lorelai home from the hospital in. She runs her fingers over the fabric, remembering her excitement to finally be a mother. A photo of Lorelai at 3 months old is underneath it and Emily grins. She really did have a huge head as a baby. A teeny pair of Mary Jane's, that Lorelai threw screaming tantrums over having to wear. Typical.

After rummaging through most of the keepsakes, she stumbles upon a photo of Lorelai holding Rory as a newborn. She remembers this day so clearly. She and Lorelai got in a nasty fight over hiring a nanny for Rory. You could see in the picture how exhausted the young mother was, but there was an immense amount of love radiating from her eyes as she looked down at baby Rory. How would life have been different if Emily had just let Lorelai handle the parenting? If only she'd trusted her enough to raise Rory without the assistance of someone else. Maybe their relationship would be much different now.

Emily doesn't even realize she's been crying for a while now, until her tears drip down onto the baby blanket. She quickly wipes them away, trying to compose herself. She could not let history repeat itself. She needed to make amends with Lorelai, not just because she was bringing another grandchild into the world, but because she _needed_ to have a better relationship with Lorelai. As much as her daughter didn't believe it, Emily always _wanted_ Lorelai. She loved her from the very minute she found out she was pregnant. Her struggle has always been showing her love in a way that Lorelai responded positively to. The fact was simply that she and Lorelai were two very different people. She would have to let her guard down and be willing to be vulnerable with Lorelai, if she ever wanted to have a breakthrough with her. That wasn't going to be an easy, or overnight fix. But what scared her more than being vulnerable, was losing Lorelai forever.

/

"Oh, my god, I made it! Food. Me. Give!"

Luke slides a plate to her, a scowl on his face. "Emergency B.L.T."

"Yeah! Emergency chili fries and black and white shake. It's a three alarm emergency!" she says, exasperated, "Kiss?"

"I'm too mad!"

Lorelai knits her brows, "Okay...wait why? 'Cause your lips would be all fiery and it would hurt?"

"Did you know they changed my street name?!"

"Uh, hello, yes. Where have you been?"

Luke paces across the counter from her, "I figured I don't have business cards, who cares? But _every_ piece of mail that comes to the diner, I've got to write, 'change the address.' Every piece of mail!"

Lorelai stares blankly at him, "I am aware of that."

"It's a huge hassle!" 

"I _know!_ Wait, are you mad at Taylor again?"

Luke sighs, leaning over the counter, talking down towards Lorelai's stomach "I'm sorry, baby--but your father has a _great_ reason for using this tone!"

Lorelai grins, "Yay! You hear that Coffee? Daddy's back! Oh my god, I am _so_ glad you ditched the zen thing, because tonight at the town meeting, I'm taking it to the people and the people are going to take it to Taylor! Just because I refused to be on 'Sores and Boils Alley' Taylor took me off the map. He took me off the town map!"

"Take it to him!" Luke encourages, leaning over the counter and kissing her to make up for earlier. 

"I've got a speech all planned, listing the years of Taylor wrongs. The abuses, the manipulations. And I'm going to get in there and make the people understand that they do not have to blindly follow Taylor Doose anymore!" she pumps her fists in the air, ready to lead this revolution.

Luke smirks, "Good, do it. They'll follow you, they like you. And it's hard to say 'no' to the pregnant lady."

Lorelai rubs her belly affectionately, "Don't I know it! Come on baby girl, let's go get our street name fixed," Lorelai coos, sliding off the stool. "Bye, doll," she says, kissing Luke goodbye. 

As she's leaving the diner, her cell phone rings, and she notices her mother is calling her. She groans audibly and flips the phone open to answer it, "Hello?"

"I'm turning your bedroom into a gift-wrapping room and I have to get rid of your dollhouse. Do you want it?" Emily says pointedly. 

"Wait, what?"

"Your _dollhouse._ It's quite cumbersome and I have absolutely no place to put it," she pauses, her voice softening, "I thought you'd like to have it... for the baby."

Lorelai feels herself breathe easier. That was the first time her mother brought up her future granddaughter. "Yeah, I would. Thanks, mom."

It's quiet between the Gilmore women and then Emily finally speaks, "Well, when can you come over and get it?"

"I don't know, my schedule's really full right now."

"Can't you make time?"

Lorelai sighs, a glimmer of hope shattered by Emily's demanding persona, "Mom, I don't know right this second when I'll have time to drive all the way to Hartford."

"Fine. But I can't store it forever. Call me the moment you work out your schedule," Emily stipulates. 

"Oh, I will. The very moment."

/

Sookie and Michel were anxiously anticipating Lorelai's arrival at the inn the next morning. She was their only hope to get the Dragonfly's street name changed back. Lorelai finally breezes into the kitchen with a smile on her face. "How'd it go? Please say good," Michel whines. 

"It went great!" she chirps, taking a banana nut muffin from Sookie's fresh batch. 

"So, come on--tell us what happened?!" Sookie says giddily.

"I get to the town meeting, and it's already started right? And I come in the back door with the squeaky track, so everybody knows Lorelai's in the house. Taylor's up there yammering about septic tanks, and Patty made her raisin cake, and, you know, everything's just going along, when suddenly Taylor says it's time to break. And I stand up, on the bench, which is, might I add difficult and slightly frowned upon by others when you're twenty-seven weeks pregnant, and I write 'Strike' on my town meeting flier, and I hold it up, all defiant!"

Sookie sighs in amazement, "Wow!"

"So, I march up to the front of the room and I looked this town in the eye, and I said: 'We, your Dragonfly Inn, are not on the map! We have been tossed off by Taylor-I-think-I-own-this-town-Doose and it is not right--and he must be stopped!"

"He is a monster!" Michel exclaims.

"Anyhow, I tell the town how I've given them the best years of my life, and we've turned the Dragonfly into a class A, top notch destination inn, and that leaving us off the map was petty and mean-spirited, and just plain bad business!"

Sookie and Michel are practically on the edge of their seats, "Then what happened?" Sookie beams. "What's next? What's next?!" Michel demands.

"Then I turned to Taylor, and I said: "Taylor Doose, if you don't put us back on the map, it will be Molly Ringwald giving her underwear to Anthony Michael Hall and he shows it to a roomful of boys who've all paid a dollar to see it."

Michel groans, "Oh, come _on_."

"No, see, it worked! He thought about it for a minute, and then he said: 'Lorelai, donate a hundred dollars to the Stars Hollow historical society, and I will let you back on the map and you can keep Third Street.'"

Sookie and Michel hug each other, jumping up and down, "One-hundred dollars!"

"That's nothing!" Michel gleefully states.

"What did you say?"

Lorelai grins, "I said you got a deal!"

The three of them celebrate before Lorelai breaks the merriment, "And then he said: 'Good girl' and patted me on the head."

Both Sookie and Michel's faces turn into immediate concern, "Oh no..." Sookie moans.

"Please don't tell me--"

"--We are on 'Sores and Boils Alley.'"

Michel pinches the bridge of his nose, "We cannot be on 'Sores and Boils Alley!' Are you crazy?!"

Lorelai sighs, "He patted me on the head, Michel. Like a _dog_. And even if I wasn't crazy hormonal right now, I still would have reacted poorly to it. So, the next thing I know, Taylor is wearing Miss Patty's raisin cake on his face and I stormed out. The people really responded well to that one."

Sookie shakes her head sadly, "I'll pay the hundred dollars!"

"Me too!" Michel offers.

"No way, you guys. We are not being extorted. We are the inn on 'Sores and Boils Alley.' Historical. Proud." Lorelai's cell phone rings, and she excuses herself to take the call. It's her mother, once again.

"Hi, mom--whatever could you possibly be calling about?" she sarcastically asks.

"Why haven't you come to get the dollhouse yet?"

"Because, I don't know--I've been working?"

Emily sighs, "Goodwill is picking it up at noon tomorrow, so if you want it come and get it!"

"Well, I can't come tomorrow!"

She pauses, "Well, then come over tonight! We're up until eleven. You can even bring Luke. I'll have Consuela make a late-night snack."

Lorelai crinkles her brow in confusion. Why was she trying so hard to get her--and Luke, to come over? And further more, do what? 'Hang?' "Mom, we can't do that tonight. We're thirty miles away, and our construction crew will be here late, because we're very busy trying to get the house finished up."

"Then it's being donated!"

"Oh, my god, you can hold onto it a little while longer!"

"No, I can't! It's taking up space and I need it gone," Emily demands.

Lorelai is done having this silly argument, "You know, I can't believe you. You know how much this dollhouse means to me, and I know it means a lot to you! If you want to be this mean and vindictive, then fine. Give it to Goodwill. Give it away. Light it on fire! I don't care!" she shouts, abruptly hanging up the phone before Emily can find a response. 

/ 

"The pizza's taking forever!" Lorelai whines, laying on the couch with Paul Anka, one hand rubbing her belly. 

Luke walks over, still wearing his tool belt, "You ordered it less than ten minutes ago..."

"That's all the time that's passed? It feels like it's been hours!"

He pecks a kiss on her forehead and pats Paul Anka's head, "Well, the good news is that the guys are almost done, so the only thing left now is to paint."

Lorelai's face lights up. She was sick of spending months sleeping in the living room, "Oooo! Now the fun part! How's Coffee's room coming along?"

"The _baby's_ room is done, other than painting and putting her furniture and stuff in it."

"Can I see?"

Luke nods, helping her up from the couch, "Sure. Come on."

He leads her upstairs, to the new addition of house. Luke had been very protective of Lorelai, and didn't want her to go up there when there was a possibility of it being 'unsafe,' so she really hadn't seen much of anything upstairs, yet. He opens the door to what will be the nursery and Lorelai's face instantly brightens. The room wasn't huge, but it was perfect for their daughter. Two big windows let in the natural light, and Lorelai could plainly picture their little girl curled up in the window seat with a book in her lap years down the road. Her eyes well up and she turns around to look at Luke, "This is perfect."

Luke grins and kisses her forehead, "Think she'll like growing up here?"

Lorelai nods, "I think she'll love it. I can't believe I'm crying over the empty room--I'm going to be a mess when I see it all put together."

"You can be a mess along side me," he admits, wrapping his arm around her to pull her into his side. Luke rests a hand on her stomach, rubbing soft circles, "She sleeping?"

"I think so. She's always snoozy when I'm moving around. It's when I'm still that she decides it's time to party," Lorelai says, just as a kick was delivered to the left side of her stomach, "See?"

He smiles, "Hey, peanut. You like your room so far? I know it's not much, but we're going to make it into a cozy little home," he says, talking to her stomach. Luke feels the baby nudge against his hand and Lorelai smiles, "She loves hearing your voice, you know."

"Nuclear Luke and all?" he jokes, kissing her tenderly. 

"Oh, definitely. Kid's probably going to come out the womb ranting."

The doorbell rings and Lorelai's face lights up, "Oooo! My pizza's here!"

Lorelai and Luke make their way downstairs, where Paul Anka was peeking around the couch nervously. "What a watch dog," Luke grumbles.

She opens the door, to reveal her father on the other side, a far cry from Jimmy, the pizza delivery guy. 

"Hello, Lorelai."

"Hey, Dad."

"I thought you'd want this," he steps aside to reveal the dollhouse. Lorelai's face softens, and she smiles, "Thanks, I do."

He sighs deeply, his hands in his pockets, "And--we need to talk about Rory."


	13. It's My Party and We'll Fight If I Want To

"What about Rory?" Lorelai asks, folding her arms across her chest, resting them on top of her belly. 

"I don't like what I see in that girl," Richard says curtly.

Lorelai stares at him blankly, "What? My eyes?"

He clearly doesn't find her little joke funny, "She's lost focus. She's drifting, aimless. You know she joined the DAR?"

"Yeah, I saw the picture in the paper."

"She's running around, planning tea parties like she's the mad hatter. All she talks about are seating charts and canapés and fund-raisers--and that boy," Richard rants, the irritation clear in his voice when he mentions Logan.

Lorelai sighs, "Uh-huh. So, she's turned into mom. That's what you're really saying."

Richard gives her a narrow stare, trying to ignore her last statement, "My point is that she's heading in the wrong direction, and I don't like it. Now, I've thought long and hard about this, and I've come to a decision. We need a plan."

She stares at him, shocked that he'd have the audacity to tell _her_ they needed a plan, after both he and Emily threw her, and her plan under the bus. "But... We... I had a plan. You _changed_ the plan. Plan's gone baby."

"I don't appreciate your tone."

"Well, apparently the proper tone went out with the plan."

Richard sighs audibly, "Do you understand what I'm saying? Rory's not headed back to school!"

"Not yet, anyhow."

"Not yet?! Not now, not ever!" he scoffs, "Listen to me for just a moment. We can fix this. First of all, I can change the terms of Rory's trust fund. Currently, she's set to receive it when she turns twenty-five, but I say, we tell her it's contingent on her returning to Yale."

"Dad--" Lorelai starts, knowing where this is going. 

"Or, we can use the opposite approach. If you think it's better. Maybe we offer her a car or the down payment on a town house. Or I'll buy her the town house. Don't you see? If there's something in it for her, maybe we can get her to change her mind. She's turning twenty-one in ten days. Do you realize that? Twenty-one-year-olds need to be working towards something."

Lorelai shakes her head in disbelief, "Yes, Dad. I _know_ she's turning twenty-one. And I'm done with this conversation. I don't want any part in a plan to bribe my daughter with cars and money, mainly because it wouldn't work, and if you'd ever met Rory you know it wouldn't work. Rory can't be bought, and I'm not going to try to buy her. I want Rory to go back to school. She used to love to learn and read and study. And that was freakish but it was her. And she's got to get herself back there."

"But--"

"No, when Rory wants help, she will ask for it. And the minute she does, I will fly in there faster than the gulf stream I'm sure you're gonna offer to buy her next. But until then, I'm sorry, but you're on your own," Lorelai states.

Richard looks like he's going to blow a fuze, "You are impossible! You know that?!"

"I am quite aware. Thank you for bringing the dollhouse over, Dad. Now, can you let Jimmy on the porch so he can give me my pizza?" Lorelai says, nodding to the high schooler, who'd been awkwardly standing there far too long.

He shakes his head, turning on his heal to leave without saying another word. The pizza delivery boy hands the box to her and she gives him a handful of bills, "Keep it. You can put it towards the therapy you'll need to get that live Dr. Phil episode out of your head."

Jimmy smirks, pocketing the bills, "Thanks, Lorelai. See you later."

"Bye, Jimmy," she pauses, looking toward the partially cracked open door, "Okay, you can come out now."

Luke pops his head out of the door, Paul Anka peeking out below him. "He's gone?"

"Yeah, it's safe for you big chickens to come out. And I'm assuming you weren't talking about Jimmy," Lorelai says, sitting down on the porch step with her pizza. Luke walks out and Paul Anka follows, sniffing the dollhouse before running off into the yard. "How much did you hear?"

Luke leans on the railing, giving her a sympathetic look, "I heard plenty. Do you want me to bring the dollhouse in?"

Lorelai nods, "Yeah, bring it up to the nursery." Luke goes over to the large toy and attempts to lift it, only to fail immensely, while Lorelai starts up a rant, "Unbelievable. He's unbelievable!"

"He sure is. How the hell'd he lift this thing?"

"Pretending like it's an accident that Rory's still floundering! Nothing's an accident. He caused this. He made this happen."

Luke stares at the dollhouse with amazement, "It must weigh a thousand pounds."

"That was a low blow, bringing up Rory's birthday like that. As if I really didn't know?! I was there when she was turning nothing! I know she's turning twenty-one," Lorelai scoffs.

"Does this thing have a real foundation or something?" Luke asks, still completely thrown by the fact that Richard Gilmore could lift the dollhouse, but he couldn't.

She stuffs another slice of pizza in her mouth, "It's just like my parents, you know, to double-cross me then get mad when I won't help them undo the double cross."

"Did he have guys with him?"

Lorelai shakes her head, "What? No. He was alone."

"Your dad is Hercules!" 

"We had plans..." she says softly, her tone wavering slightly.

Luke finally stops fussing over the dollhouse and turns to her, "What?"

"We were gonna go to Atlantic City. We were gonna sit at a blackjack table at 11:59, we were gonna order martinis and we were gonna be playing 21 when she turned twenty-one," Lorelai explains sadly.

Luke joins her on the porch steps, and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And then, hopefully we'd win, and we'd take our winnings and we'd buy twenty-one things. And then there was a thing about twenty-one guys that wouldn't be appropriate now, with the engagement and all. And I guess I'd have had to ask for a virgin martini, but, it still would've been a good plan," Lorelai pauses, watching Paul Anka sniff at something in the bushes, "She probably doesn't even remember the plan."

"She remembers the plan," Luke says softly. 

Lorelai holds back tears, shaking her head, "It wasn't like we talked about it every day. It was just something we thought of."

"She remembers the plan," Luke repeats, kissing the side of her head.

Paul Anka walks over to them and Lorelai holds out a piece of pizza for the dog, "Here, buddy," she says, and he takes the slice from her hand, "I can't believe her birthday is ten days away. And I, the woman who gave birth to her, hasn't been told a single detail--is she having a classy party? A kegger? Do I get her a present? Should I just show up with a bottle of Patron?"

Luke runs his hand through her hair, "Maybe she's not having a party this year."

Lorelai shakes her head, "Oh no. If she's living under Emily Gilmore's roof, there will be a party. Probably one with lots of pearls and lace."

They sit in silence for a moment, watching as Paul Anka licks dropped cheese off the ground. "By the way, the top comes off," Lorelai says, nodding toward the dollhouse.

"Of course it does."

/

"Okay, Luke--come look at this one!"

"I can't look at anymore paint chips!"

Lorelai was standing in the nursery, taping up yet another paint sample to the wall. "Hon, I have them categorized by color now. Pinks, Yellows, Purples, and one shade of green, which I think I can eliminate now, because every time I come in here I'll think of Sherry."

Luke joins her in the nursery, his eyes growing wide as he takes in all the paint samples. "Oh jeez, Lorelai! You need to start eliminating some of these. The guys are almost done, which means they're gonna want to start painting. If they're not painting, they're not earning, which means they'll go elsewhere!" 

She folds her arms over her chest, huffing, "Luke, we can't just make a rash decision here! Whatever color we choose is going to have a major impact on little Coffee's life. This is something we can't just jump into. It needs careful and rational thought."

"She's a _baby_ , Lorelai. I don't think she cares about aesthetic."

Lorelai drops her jaw in shock, "Oh, Luke. Think about it. We chose pink. What does pink say? It says: stereotype. Ballerina. Princesses. Living in Candy Land. And purple, you might ask? Purple is like pink, but the edgy version. It's more rock-n-roll, more 'I'm going to pierce my nose and become the next Avril Lavigne.'" 

"You are a crazy lady."

"Ah-ah-ah! Remember these crazy lady genes are going to be running through your offspring. Now, come on, tell me what you think!"

Luke sighs, staring at the wall blankly. The color of the room didn't matter to him in the slightest. All that mattered was that his daughter would be healthy and happy living there. But, to appease Lorelai, he better chip in his opinion. "I kind of like that one."

"Which one?"

"This one," Luke says, pointing to a warm, light yellow color swatch. Lorelai moves closer to the wall, reading the name of the color, "Pineapple Delight. Hmmm. I like it, too. It's warm, but not too warm. Edgy and modern, but yet it doesn't say, 'I'm going to put lots of holes in my body.' I think we have a winner."

Luke shakes his head and wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him, "If only we could agree on a name that quickly..."

"Well, we wouldn't have an issue if you'd just agree with me."

Luke snorts, "And there are your wedding vows."

Lorelai shoots him a glare, "You're mean."

He kisses the side of her head, "We got a color. The guys can start painting. Then we can move all her furniture in here. It's really feeling real, huh?"

"It might _just_ be feeling real for you now, pal, but this fat stomach and these swollen ankles have been screaming 'She's real!' for months now," Lorelai says, rubbing her belly.

"Oh, come on. You're adorable and you know it. You can't go anywhere without people swooning over you," Luke says, his hand joining hers, and he feels his daughter deliver a sharp kick.

Lorelai frowns, " _Exactly!_ It's like I got a big sign on my back that says, 'Touch my belly.' I swear, if one more stranger decides to give it a rub, like I'm freaking Aladdin's magic lamp, I'll lose it."

"So, you do agree that you're adorable?"

She crosses her arms over her chest, "I don't like you right now."

Luke smirks, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, "I'll make you a big plate of nachos."

"With extra cheese?" Lorelai says, sticking her lip out in a pout.

He sighs, "With extra cheese."

"Okay! I love you again!"

/

Lorelai was out on her walk with Paul Anka, when she meets Babette and Morey walking out of Doose's, each of them carrying huge grocery bags. "Hey guys!"

"Oh, hi, sugah! Sorry, couldn't see ya over all these bags," Babette chirps.

"Wow, if you can't see all _this_ over those bags, you must have quite a haul. Hunkering down for winter?" Lorelai asks, her hand still rubbing her stomach.

Babette grins, "Ain't she just the cutest little pregnant lady you ever seen, Morey?" 

He nods, "Way cute."

"We're gettin' our supplies for our gallows early this year," Babette informs her.

Lorelai smiles, "Oh, yeah! Hanging Morey again this year?"

"Every year," Morey drawls.

"What are you and Luke gonna do for Halloween? Startin' any traditions for when the baby gets here?"

She shrugs, "Oh, I don't know. We'll probably just hand out candy."

"Not very creative..."

Lorelai scoffs, "Uh, hello, handing out candy is the entire point of Halloween! It needs no creativity."

"You and Luke could dress up, you know. Patty's having her big party again this year!"

"Babette, have you met Luke? My Luke? Does he look like he enjoys playing dress-up?"

The blonde lady chuckles, "Well, he should start! He's gonna have a little girl pretty soon, so he better get used to it! Well honey, we should get goin' we gotta lot of work to do!"

"No rest for the doomed," Morey grins.

Lorelai huffs as her neighbors walk away, "I'm going to be so creative this year, Babette! Just you wait! Luke and I are going to win best couples costume at Patty's!" She and Paul Anka continue their walk to Luke's and Lorelai spies him through the window. She taps on the glass, pointing down to Paul Anka, with a pouty face. Luke shakes his head slowly, as he pours a customer more coffee.

She mouths _"Please,"_ and Luke closes his eyes in irritation, releasing a big sigh before he firmly points to a spot next to the counter. Lorelai grins and giddily enters with Paul Anka still on his leash. "Hi, hon!"

Luke stares down at the dog with annoyance, "If he barks, he goes. If he bothers a _single_ customer, he goes. There's a perfectly good tree he can be tied up to until you're done."

Lorelai sits down at her usual spot at the counter and signals for Paul Anka to lay down next to her. He does immediately, and looks up at Luke with innocent eyes. "You were saying?"

He groans, "What do you want?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes, extra chips, with whipped cream and chocolate sauce," Lorelai says folding her hands on the counter, "And Paul Anka wants scrambled eggs, extra cheddar."

Luke sighs, "Are you sure you don't want a nice bowl of oatmeal?"

She makes a face, "Ick! No way. Fill up my coffee, will you love?"

He grabs the decaf pot and she sighs, hoping he'd slip up this time and give her the real stuff. The diner phone rings and Luke answers it on the second ring, "Luke's."

"Luke? Is my mother there?"

He's surprised to hear Rory's voice on the other end of the phone, "Rory?"

Lorelai immediately turns to him as soon as she hears him say her daughter's name, "Rory?"

"Yes, it's Rory. Now, is my mother there?" she said, sounding more irritated this time around.

"I'll give her to you," Luke says, but Rory cuts him off, "No! I just want to know if she's coming to my birthday party or not."

"That's Rory? For me?"

"She wants to know if you're coming to her birthday party," Luke asks, repeating what Rory said.

Lorelai had received an invitation earlier that week, and assumed it came from Emily Gilmore by default, not Rory herself. "What? I didn't know I was invited."

"I sent her an invitation! Where the hell did she think it came from? The invitation fairy?!" Rory shouts. 

"She said she sent you an invitation," Luke tells Lorelai.

"I didn't know it was from her," Lorelai says, and Luke holds the phone closer to her, "I didn't know it was from you!"

Rory pauses for a moment, "Well, it was. So is she coming or not?"

"Are you coming or not?" Luke asks, getting slightly annoyed by this game of repeat.

"Yes! I--I'm coming. Of course I'm coming," she says, still shocked that Rory called looking for her.

Luke tells Rory she's coming and the two of them say their goodbyes. Lorelai stares at Luke in disbelief, "Rory _called."_

"Yeah, she called and she yelled at me!"

Lorelai shakes her head, "No, she called to yell at me."

He stares at her with wide eyes, "Yeah, but _I'm_ the one who had to hear it, and she was _loud._ And she said 'hell.' I never heard her say 'hell.' I didn't even know she knew _how_ to say 'hell.' She was mad and she yelled and she said 'hell.'"

"Yeah, but... she called," Lorelai says, her eyes sparkling in a way Luke hadn't seen them shine in a long time. Maybe this was finally the breakthrough Lorelai and Rory needed to get back on track.

/

Exactly ten days later, Lorelai and Luke found themselves standing outside of the Gilmore house, staring at the front door in silence. "This might be my least favorite door in the world to knock on," he finally says.

"What about death's door?"

"The reception on the other side might be warmer," Luke deadpans, and the front door opens before either of them can ring the bell. 

Lorelai shrugs, "At least you didn't have to knock."

They enter into the hallway, and Lorelai is immediately on edge. She spies the gift table, plopping the present on top of the mound, "Okay, we're in. Gifts on the table, good, good." A waiter comes by and offers them a drink and Lorelai grabs one off the tray, thrusting it into Luke's hand. "What is this?" he asks as he stares at the pink liquid in the martini glass.

"I don't know, drink it. Cheers. Okay, checking things off the list. We should probably move deeper into the house," she says, looking around anxiously. 

"Yeah, maybe if we keep moving around we can get lucky and avoid--"

Before he can finish his statement, the voice of the one and only Emily Gilmore echoes over them, "Lorelai... you came. Hello, Luke."

"Yeah, well, we were invited."

Both mother and daughter simply stare at each other as if they'd forgotten what the other looked like. Lorelai donned a black maternity wrap dress that definitely showcased her pregnancy. Emily's gaze drifts to her daughter's midsection, "How are you feeling? I assume the baby is doing well?"

"I'm feeling as good as anyone growing a human could be," Lorelai says, subconsciously wrapping her arms around her stomach almost as if she was protecting the baby from her mother, "She's an active little lady, that's for sure."

"Just like Rory was," Emily says evenly, "Luke, I see you have a 'Rory.' Lorelai, we can get you something non-alcoholic."

"What's a Rory?"

"Your drink. Champagne, vodka, pineapple juice, and grenadine."

Luke looks at the glass with a disgusted smile, "Yum."

It's silent between the three adults, before Emily smooths the front of her skirt, "Well, it was nice of the two of you to come. I have things to check on. We'll catch up later. Excuse me."

Lorelai and Luke watch her walk off and Luke tries the drink, "Oh my god, it's disgusting. It tastes like I'm drinking a My Little Pony."

"Ha-Ha. I'm so glad I'm pregnant," she says dragging him to the buffet, "Come on, I need to eat something, I'm starving."

They are stopped by Paris and Doyle, who informs Lorelai that she's the new editor of the Yale Daily News. Luke excuses himself to the bathroom and Lorelai finally meets Rory's gaze from across the room. The two Gilmore girls walk toward each other slowly, not breaking eye contact. "Hey, birthday girl," Lorelai says, attempting to sound as normal as possible.

Rory smiles, but it's forced. She's more overwhelmed by seeing her mother than she'd have predicted. After all, the last time she saw her, she still looked like Lorelai. Now she's Lorelai, plus baby. "Hey, mom. Thanks for coming..."

"Of course," Lorelai says, awkwardly shifting her weight.

"You're so... _pregnant,_ " Rory says, still trying to comprehend the fact that there was an actual baby in her stomach, and not a smuggled basketball under her mother's dress.

"What? You can tell? Huh, I thought I was hiding it so well," Lorelai jokes, pretending to be shocked.

Rory shakes her head, "I mean, you look great, really. It's just hard for me to believe, you know?"

Lorelai nods, "Yeah, I get it. Thanks. You hadn't seen me in quite a few months, so that's natural."

It's quiet for a moment, both girls saying a lot without actually speaking. "Uh, how long until she's born? When are you due?"

"January 4th, but she could easily be a Christmas baby," Lorelai says, rubbing her stomach. "Hey, do you want to feel? She's kicking."

Rory gives her a small smile and nods, "Okay."

Lorelai takes her daughter's hand and places it on the right side of her belly, and Rory gasps when her little sister kicks her hand. "Oh my god, she's really in there! She's strong."

"Oh yeah, she is. I think Luke's secretly teaching her how to lift weights after I fall asleep."

"And Luke's good with everything?"

"He's been incredible. I'd never have expected things to go the way they have. I'm really happy with Luke, kid."

Rory gives her another forced smile, "Good. Um...I have to go say hello to some people, so I'll catch up with you later. Have some food. There's tons of food."

Lorelai watches her walk off, the awkwardness still hanging in the air. She knew it'd be challenging to have a normal conversation with Rory, but she never thought it would be this hard. She finds Luke by the buffet, "I saw Rory. I mean, I did more than 'see,' I actually talked to..."

"Oh, yeah? Good. That's good, right? I gotta find her. I have something for her. It's nothing big, just, something I thought she'd like to have," he says, blushing slightly.

He and Lorelai start filling up plates to take out to the patio, "Oh, Luke, that's really sweet. I'm sure she'll love it."

They scope out an empty table away from her mother's prying DAR friends. That was the majority of the people at the party anyway, not that it surprised Lorelai in the slightest. "Ugh, you're still drinking that? You know they shouldn't be allowed to put just anything into a martini glass. Martinis should go into a martini glass. Gin martinis, vodka martinis, period. That's it."

"Do you know what this is?" Luke asks, holding up a piece of something inedible. 

"It's raw fish, Luke. Dip it in soy sauce and swallow it real quick. Hey--have you seen my father around?"

Luke quickly dips the fish and swallows it, making a face, "Uh, nope."

"Hmmm, I wonder where he's hiding out."

Suddenly, two women around her mother's age approach their table, "Excuse me, Lorelai?"

She turns, mid-mouthful, "Uh, yeah?"

"Hi, I'm Vivian Lewis, and this is Catherine Thurston Moore. We're friends of Rory's from the DAR."

Lorelai wipes her hands on a napkin and smiles, "Oh, friends of Rory's. Wow. I didn't realize she ran with the bad girls."

The two women giggle like they've never heard anything funnier. "We just wanted to tell you how much we love Rory. She introduced us to buffalo wings and jalapeño poppers and for that we will be eternally grateful," Catherine says giddily.

"What's the DAR?" Luke asks.

The women laugh again, and Lorelai just smiles and shakes her head. "I'm gonna get a beer. Anyone want anything?"

"I'm good, hon."

Luke makes his way back into the house and Rory spies him. "Hey, little tip. We have beer here," Rory says, tapping Luke on the shoulder. 

He turns around and grins, "Ah, the magic words. Happy Birthday, Rory," he says, giving her a hug. 

"Thanks for coming, Luke. I'm really glad you're here. Did you try a 'Rory'?"

He grimaces, "Yeah, I have. Not my kind of drink."

She shakes her head, "Yeah, mine either," she pauses, "Mom looks really good. I can't believe it's really happening, you know? All this time I knew she was pregnant, but I guess it didn't really hit me until I saw her tonight."

Luke nods, "Oh, I get it. Sometimes it's still hard for me to believe. But, she's doing good, you know... all things considering," he says quickly. "Uh, I have something for you."

"Oh Luke, you didn't need to get me anything."

He hands her a small box and she opens the lid, pulling the pearls out of the box, "Luke. These are beautiful."

"It was my mother's. Liz can't wear it 'cause her neck's too fat, but your neck looks, you know, not fat. It was sitting around in my drawer, so I thought, 'Hey, give it to Rory.' You know you're lucky 'cause Caesar's birthday is next month and I know he likes pearls, so..."

Rory giggles, "Thank you. I love them."

"You're welcome."

While Lorelai waited for Luke to come back, Emily approaches her, "Where's Luke? I hope he didn't get lost somewhere."

"Oh, no, I'm sure he's just sizing up how much silver he can stuff into his pockets without it making too much of a bulge," Lorelai says, a hint of irritation in her voice.

Emily huffs, "I was not insinuating that he was a thief."

"Ah. Well, he went to get a beer. For himself, obviously--I've already had my limit for the day," she deadpans, making her mother groan, "Oh, for god sakes, Lorelai. That's not even funny."

"So, where's dad hiding out tonight?"

"He's going to sit all night long in that office of his, moping and sulking, missing his granddaughter's birthday party, and he's going to leave me out here all alone to host it," Emily says haughtily, "Oh! I need make sure Claire starts getting the cake prepared. Excuse me, Lorelai."

Lorelai waits until Emily is out of view before heading for her father's office. Hopefully Luke wouldn't be too freaked out to face the masses alone. She knocks on the door and goes in, "Hello? Dad? You're missing a crazy party out there. You know someone forgot to cook the fish? Boy, is Mom gonna be mad."

"Go away, Lorelai."

Lorelai sighs, plopping down in a chair. Her feet were killing her from standing all night, "What's wrong Dad?"

Richard puts his scotch glass down, sighing deeply, "You know what's wrong. Rory's wrong. It's all wrong. She's not going back to Yale. It's my fault."

"Rory made a choice."

"No, I could've stopped her, and I didn't. I cleared the path for her to walk away from her goal, her life."

Lorelai rests her hands on her belly, rubbing little circles over where her daughter was kicking, "No, Dad--"

"She's having sex, Lorelai," he says bluntly, "She's having sex under my roof. I paid 40,000 dollars to redecorate her sex house. I bought her her sex mattress, her sex box springs. I provided everything she needs to waste her life."

Lorelai finds the subject of discussing her daughter's sex life with her father slightly uncomfortable, but she brushes it aside, "Dad, Rory having sex is not your fault, really. She was having sex way before the big renovation."

He stares at her disapprovingly, "Oh, good. I feel so much better now."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to--"

"Richard! You come out of here right now and make an appearance at this party!" Emily interrupts.

He scoffs, "I don't give a damn about the party, Emily."

"What is going on with you? You've been holed up in this office for two days!"

"We've lost her, Emily. We have lost Rory."

She shakes her head, "What are you talking about? I got her out of the pool house."

"For a day. For two days, and then the rentals have to go back."

Emily straightens her jacket, "Fine, then I'll have the place fumigated. That'll take a week. Then I'll have the place checked for mold. That'll be two weeks. Then I'll find rats. Then there will be carbon monoxide leaks, and pluming issues and if I have to, I'll tear the damn place down. In the meantime, she's here where we can watch her."

"Oh my god, you don't need to babysit my twenty-one year old," Lorelai mutters from the chair. 

"That doesn't matter, Emily. We've failed her," Richard says sadly.

She gives him a pointed stare, "No! We have not failed. We have not failed until that girl comes home pregnant. Then we've failed!"

Lorelai laughs in disbelief, "And on that note..."

"Lorelai--" Emily starts. 

"No, no, I really don't need to stay to hear the rest of this conversation. Really, Rory's pretty lucky, she's still batting zero. You know, I thought maybe things would be different this time around, because I'm a grown woman with a house, and a career, and a fiance, and I thought you two might be happy for me and happy to get a new grandchild, but I'll be damned, _nothing_ has changed since '84."

"Lorelai, that is _not_ true!" Emily shouts at her, following her out into the hall, Richard close behind.

"Do not follow me, Mom!"

Emily keeps up with her, "We _are_ happy for you Lorelai, we are!"

She laughs, "Oh, you are? Well, this is the first time in nearly six months you've said it, so sorry of me to assume."

"Richard, tell her!"

"Tell her _what_ , Emily?!"

"Tell her how much we miss her! Tell her how much we want to be a part of this child's life!" Emily shouts desperately.

Lorelai walks into the foyer, trying to ignore both of them. Rory watches the scene from a far, walking over after a few moments to see what was happening. "What is going on?!"

"Nothing. Everything's fine, Rory," Lorelai says smoothly.

"It's because of me, isn't it? You guys are fighting because of me and Logan, aren't you?" Rory challenges.

"No--it's really about me, not you. That's how it's always been around here. You always get an easy pass because you're their little, precious Rory! As long as you don't get knocked up, they'll always see you as being above me, so hey, make sure to always keep the Trojans stocked if you want to hold on to your position," Lorelai says, feeling guilty about it as soon as it leaves her mouth.

"I have not gotten an easy pass! Have you been paying attention to what's been going on around here?" Rory says angrily.

"Yes, I have actually. That is, only when you're kind enough to call Luke and have him relay messages to me!"

Rory sighs audibly, "I didn't call Luke because I didn't want to talk to you--I did it because I couldn't reach you anywhere else!"

"Girls, stop it right now!" Emily shouts, trying to break up the clear argument that was starting to boil.

"You are such a liar! You didn't even _try_ to get ahold of me all these months. I mean, for god sakes, you didn't even bother to give me your new cell phone number, because I'm that low on your list!"

"Why are you so hung up on that stupid phone number?! I told you what happened--"

They're interrupted by the cake being wheeled out and Logan starting to sing 'Happy Birthday,' the rest of the party-attendees joining in. Rory looks at her mother, her watery eyes a dead giveaway that the confrontation got to her. Rory tries to ignore her guilt, because everything Lorelai said was true. She was avoiding her. She called Luke because she didn't want to speak to her directly. 

Lorelai grabs Luke's arm and starts walking toward the door, "Lorelai? What the hell happened?"

"I want to leave," she says adamantly, getting her coat from the rack. 

"Yeah, okay, we can leave. Are you alright?"

She nods, "I'll be fine."

After the song is done, Rory blows out her candles and turns to look for Lorelai. She's gone from her previous spot, so Rory leaves the room quickly, hoping to catch her before it's too late. "Mom?" she calls, "Mom?!"

She opens the front door and runs outside, stopping in her tracks as she sees the lights of Luke's truck fade into the distance. Rory wraps her arms around herself, as tears stream down her cheeks. She hears the front door open and Logan comes outside to find her, "Ace? What are you doing?"

"Nothing... I just needed some air," she says quietly. 

Logan wraps his arm around her waist, "Hey, it's your twenty-first birthday. You're supposed to be throwing back shots and making a fool of yourself, not standing outside moping."

Rory gives him a half smile, "I'm pretty sure that's not on the list of Emily Gilmore approved activities."

"Well, take a raincheck. Come on, Ace."

She nods and follows him back inside, trying to put her feelings aside for the remainder of the party. She knew she hurt her mom, but she was equally hurt after the argument they had that night. What she really wanted was a chance to talk to Lorelai alone. Everything changed after she _saw_ her mom. Rory realized how much she wanted to be a part of her little sister's life. She didn't want to be an obscure sibling 'figure' who only dropped by for (maybe) Christmas and a couple birthdays. Yes, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore needed to make things right again.

/

"Lorelai?"

She turns her head at the sound of his voice. Luke was holding out a mug of peppermint tea for her. She'd been sitting on the couch with Paul Anka, staring at the TV while _Sixteen Candles_ played, her mind in a million other places. "Oh, thanks."

Luke gives her a sympathetic look and plays with her hair in a comforting way, "It's going to be okay. We will fix this, Lorelai."

She shrugs her shoulders, sniffing back tears, "I hope so."

"Everything is going to be okay," he repeats, sitting down next to her. She curls into his chest, whimpering, "Why do my parents hate me? They really _do_ see me as a big failure. I never really thought about it--not really at least, until my mother said what she said... 'we haven't failed her until she comes home pregnant.' That hurt so much, Luke," she cries, covering her face with her hands.

"They don't hate you, Lorelai. No one could hate you," Luke says, still holding her close, "They just have very inappropriate ways of showing their love and poor timing."

She shakes her head, "I don't know. She said they missed me. She said they wanted to be a part of the baby's life, but, I just don't believe that..."

"Lorelai, I think everyone needs to sit down and have a rational conversation. All of us. You, me, Rory, and your parents. It's time to get this resolved, instead of thinking it's going to fix itself," Luke says. 

"I don't want to arrange a therapy session," she says pointedly, "I just can't do that right now."

Luke sighs, "Okay, that's fine, I get that. But this needs to get taken care of, please. For all of our sanities."

Lorelai looks up at him, tears still clouding her vision, "Rory's going to come back. I know she will. I saw it in her eyes tonight."

He senses her attitude and decides not to push her any further on the subject for the time being. Luke kisses her forehead, "I did too. She's still in there. Beneath the frill, that is."

Lorelai finally manages a small smile, "She'd have never picked out that dress for herself."

Luke settles back into the couch, and Lorelai sighs against his chest, her breathing steadying out. She fights sleep, but her pregnancy exhaustion and the overwhelm of the evening does her in. Luke grabs the remote from her and is just about to turn it to SportsCenter, when Lorelai mumbles, "Don't do that."

"You aren't even watching it!"

"Yeah, but you were going to turn it to sports and I don't want Coffee subjected to that..." she murmurs. 

Luke shakes his head, even in her sleeping state she was full of sarcasm and stubbornness. "Goodnight, Lorelai."

"Goodnight, Luke. I'm serious, don't turn it."

He smirks, "Okay, I won't." 

When he finally senses her sleeping for real this time, he flips the channel over to SportsCenter, a hand resting on Lorelai's belly, "Okay, kid. Daddy's going to teach you how great sports are, no matter how much Mommy protests..."


	14. Bend It Like Beckham!

"Your impatience is very distracting."

Luke sighs, his hands on his hips, "I said nothing!"

"I'm sensing a vibe."

"I can't help my vibe!"

Lorelai continues flipping through paint samples, trying to plan the colors for the rest of the house. They already figured out colors for the nursery, the master bedroom, and their bathroom, but the living room proved to be the hardest choice yet. "Maybe I should do this alone, I need to collect my thoughts," she says, waving him off.

He shakes his head, "The last time I left you alone with your thoughts, I came back and you were in the reds again."

"So?"

"We already ruled out red. You hate red. Your exact words were 'better dead, than red,'" Luke reminds her, sitting across from her on their bed.

She furrows her brow, staring at the paint sample, and then smiles up at him. "I'm kind of liking red now."

He leans forward on his elbows, studying her with genuine curiosity. Luke knew she was a little all over the place right now, and couldn't help it, but how could picking out a color to paint the living room be this catastrophic?

"What happened to the white you picked? That was such a _nice_ white, and you were so _sure_ about it."

She tosses her hair behind her shoulder, "It didn't go with Paul Anka."

Luke groans, "Unbelievable."

"What?! Just look for yourself," she holds up the color sample to Paul Anka who stares blankly at Luke.

His eyes widen, "Oh, yeah. You're right. That does not work, not at all."

Lorelai smirks, "See!"

"I was kidding."

"You know, your kidding is really slowing down the process here, big-time."

He pushes himself up from the bed, moving toward the kitchen, "I need a beer. Do you need anything?"

"Yeah, I need your kid to stop using my bladder as a trampoline," she mutters, not taking her eyes off the paint swatches.

He shakes his head at the mental image, and spies several pairs of Lorelai's shoes lined up in the hallway, "Hey, what are all your shoes doing down here?"

She turns her head toward the canine, "Oh, well, you'll have to talk to Paul Anka. He's one by one marched every pair of my shoes downstairs, and I have no idea why. Lined them up perfectly, too. Left, right, left, right. He's very anal when he misbehaves."

"I'll clear them out."

"No, no, no. Don't. I want him to march them back up himself. How else will he learn?" she says, as if the dog was actually a child.

Luke rolls his eyes, "Fine." He turns to Paul Anka pointing his index finger at him, "Weirdo!"

Lorelai reaches over to the ottoman he was laying on, "Don't worry, you're not weird, just a little quirky. Aren't you?" she coos, scratching behind the dog's ears. "Do you have an opinion on the color?"

Luke enters back into the living room holding a beer, "Oh, I'm sure he does."

She grins and holds out the paint samples, "Okay, dude. Check them out. Don't overthink it. What looks good to you?" Paul Anka sniffs at it, finally licking a color, "Ooo! He licked the dark magenta!"

"You do know that dogs are color-blind, right?" 

Lorelai waves him off, "Minor detail. Oh, hey, Jess called by the way."

Luke raises a brow, "Yeah? What did he want? Please tell me he hasn't done something stupid and needs to be bailed out..."

She shakes her head, "He said he's going to be in town for a little while. And because he's a man of few-syllables too, that's pretty much all I got."

"Huh. I wonder what he's doing around town?"

Lorelai shrugs, "Probably just wants to relive the glory days."

Luke rolls his eyes, "Yeah, that's definitely what it is..."

She runs her hand over her belly and shifts uncomfortably. Luke immediately shoots her a concerned glance, "You alright?"

"Yeah, hon, I'm fine. It's just getting more and more uncomfortable with our little kick-boxer pushing my organs out of place."

Luke runs a gentle hand over her stomach, feeling several pushes and kicks as he did, "She's probably bored with all this paint talk."

"It's like any time I sit for too long, she freaks out. I must lull her to sleep when I move around," Lorelai says, pushing herself up from the chair. Luke helps her up and she smiles at him gratefully. "Want to go for a walk?"

She frowns at the idea, but sighs, staring down at her stomach. "Is Mommy taking a walk what you need to calm down in there?" Paul Anka had already jumped off the ottoman and scurried over to where Lorelai kept his leash, gathering it in his mouth. He trots over to her, dropping the leash at her feet. 

Luke smirks, "Looks like someone is ready to go."

Lorelai groans, "Ugh, dude. You can't drop stuff at my feet anymore. You know I don't have the flexibility I used to," she pauses, "I know... _dirty_."

Luke grabs the leash and quickly hooks it to Paul Anka's collar. "Want me to get your jacket?"

"Yes, please."

He brings back her black leather jacket and she slips it over her arms. There was absolutely no way it was going to even come close to zipping, but it was a beautiful fall evening, so she'd be just fine. Lorelai sighs, toying with the zipper, "I can't wait until I can do things like zip up a jacket again."

Luke presses a kiss to her forehead and hands her Paul Anka's leash, "Only twelve weeks left."

"It's real cute hon, that you think after she's born I'll snap right back into my old clothes like my body didn't just go through a total annihilation," she kisses his cheek, walking out onto the porch. 

He closes the door behind them, and intertwines his fingers with hers, "You know I think you're sexy all the time, right?"

Lorelai grins, "Hmmm, you hear that Coffee? Daddy's getting lucky tonight, so sorry in advance for any loud noises that may ensue," she coos to her stomach. 

"Lorelai!"

"What? Just because she has ears, doesn't mean she understands anything yet!"

He shakes his head, "Don't listen to your crazy mother."

She gawks at him, "Ugh! Rude! Just for that, she says you have to make Mommy french toast when we get back."

"I thought you said she couldn't understand anything yet?"

Lorelai opens her mouth to respond and then clamps it shut, giving him a glare. "She understands what I want her to understand!"

He sighs, "How am I ever going to survive in this house with both of you ganging up on me?"

"That is just the price you pay for knocking me up with a girl, buddy," Lorelai says smugly, "She knows she's already got you wrapped around her little finger."

Luke scoffs, but Lorelai can see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'm really gonna be in trouble, aren't I?"

"Oh, yeah... big time."

/

Later that week, Lorelai comes into the diner on her lunch break, with the sole purpose of selling Luke her idea for their costumes for Miss Patty's Halloween party. "Okay, listen. I've been sitting on this plan for a whole _week_ now, and I'm finally ready to lay it on you!"

"Unless it's your paint color decision, I don't want to hear it," he says dryly.

She rolls her eyes, "I already _told_ you, I'm like, 94 percent sure I'm picking 'Blanched Almond.' Anyways, it's our Halloween costumes for Patty's party."

Luke immediately looks unimpressed, "No."

"What do you mean, no?! I haven't even told you yet. Now, pay attention. I'm pregnant, right?"

"You are? That explains so much," he deadpans.

"Shush! So, I was thinking, we _obviously_ need a costume that plays the pregnancy card. I'm thinking about all these possibilities, and then, it _hits_ me! I dress up as a 1950s housewife and you dress up as a milk man! Get it? _'The milk man did it.'_ 'Cause you knocked me up! Get it?"

He's thoroughly not thrilled with the prospect of having to dress up for Halloween, but he's already almost positive Lorelai will talk him into it any way. "Oh, I get it."

"And? And?!"

"What are the odds you get me to dress up for Halloween, 'cause I'm thinking it's right up there with Pia Zadora making a big comeback."

Lorelai sighs, "Oh, come on. This will be fun!"

Luke wipes down a recently vacant spot at the counter, "I always keep the diner open on Halloween, because people like to come in after they go trick-or-treating and before they go to Miss Patty's."

"You have more than one employee, you know."

"I try to give everyone the night off."

Lorelai sticks her lip out in a pout, "You really won't go? Don't you want to start traditions, Luke? This is our first Halloween as a full-blown, serious, soon-to-be-married couple, with a baby on the way."

"Exactly. The baby won't be here until _next_ Halloween. The traditions can start _next_ year," he reasons with her.

She folds her arms over her chest with a huff, "This conversation is not over." Lorelai notices two young girls and whom she presumed was one of their mother's standing nearby. "Uh, Luke? I think the lullaby league is looking for you," she nods to the girls.

Luke turns to them, "Yeah?"

"Mr. Danes, I'm Megan and this is Tilly. Um, we go to Stars Hollow Middle School. You went there," the blonde girl says shyly.

He doesn't respond and Lorelai coughs, "They're looking for confirmation..."

"Oh, yeah. I went there."

Tilly's mother, Maggie, interjects. "He's busy girls, don't keep him long."

"Well, we're on a soccer team and we lost our sponsor," Megan says sadly.

Lorelai turns on her stool to face her, "Aw. Who was your sponsor?"

"Luger's Bait and Tackle."

Lorelai gasps, "Oh, that's right. They're shutting down," she turns to Luke, "Luger's wife caught him at that motel with the transv--" She remembers that the kids are standing by her and changes the word, "--sistor radio, and, uh, he retired honorably."

Luke gives her a pointed stare and looks at the girls, "So, what are you here for?"

"We were wondering if you'd sponsor our team."

He rests his hands on the counter, sighing, "I don't know..."

"You just have to buy our jerseys," Tilly says hopefully, "They'll say 'Luke's Diner' on the back."

"Plus our name, 'The Bobcats.' And you pitch in for trophies if we win," Megan informs him, neither girl letting him get a word in.

Tilly jumps in, "But you don't even have to go to our games if you don't want."

"Girls, no offense, but it's just not really my thing," Luke finally gets in.

Maggie smiles politely, "It's okay. Thank him for his time girls." 

Megan and Tilly look at him sadly, but thank him before walking back to their table. Lorelai has been watching the scene with amusement, ready to fire back at him. "Wow. Oliver Twist just kindly asked for a little more gruel and you kicked him right in the junk."

"Who?"

"You broke those darling little girls' hearts," Lorelai says, glancing over at the two of them. 

Luke sighs, "They'll find someone else."

"How is this not your thing? You love sports."

"Lorelai, I am very busy. _We_ are very busy. In a mere twelve weeks or less, we're going to have a kid of our own and the house isn't even finished yet!"

She rubs her belly, "It's just a sponsorship, Luke. They aren't asking you to be their coach. The time commitment is the bare minimum, you don't even have to go to the games," she reasons, "And what if in ten years or so, little Coffee is on a soccer team who loses their sponsor, and she goes to, I don't know-- _Taylor_ and asks for him to sponsor the team, and he shoots her down, and that makes her so depressed she turns to a life of drugs and crime--"

"--First of all, my kid will _never_ be asking Taylor, of all people, for anything--let alone a sponsorship," he cuts her off, and she smirks, knowing the Taylor analogy would get to him. "Do you think they're any good?" he asks, nodding toward the girls.

"I don't know if that matters."

He sighs, and walks around to the other side of the counter, and over to the girls' table. "Hey, uh, if you still want a sponsor, I guess we can give it a shot."

Megan and Tilly look at each other and then at Luke, big smiles on their faces, "Really?!" Megan asks, jumping out of her seat. 

"Yay!" Tilly follows suit, and the two of them wrap their arms around Luke's torso. 

"Oh, this is wonderful. Thank you, Luke," Maggie says gratefully.

Luke stands there, not quite sure what to do with the girls still wrapped around him, so he pats them on the shoulders, "Alright, then. I guess this is you being grateful."

Lorelai had turned around on her stool to watch, the scene enough to make her weepy hormones go wild. She waves the collection of paint samples that she had stuck in her purse around, pointing at a specific shade of blue, "For the jerseys!" 

/

"Hey, whatcha doing?" Lorelai says, walking into the kitchen that night. Luke was sitting at the table with a catalog open in front of him. "Just ordered the jerseys."

Lorelai pulls up a chair and sits next to him, "Wow, those girls are going to be styling."

"Yeah, well, they're gonna have the best uniforms in the league. I've seen pictures of the other teams. Little bag ladies."

She smiles, "Look how you've embraced this."

"Well, the more I thought about it, the more fun it seemed, you know. And my friend Ed told me the team is actually pretty good. They got a chance to go all the way," Luke says proudly.

Lorelai beams, "Cool. Wow. They could make a movie about this someday. The reluctant, handsome diner owner sponsoring a team that goes all the way to the national finals, and you know who would play you?"

"Who?"

"Tobey Maguire!"

Luke scoffs, "He's way younger than me."

She grins, "But his career is hot. Go with Tobey." Paul Anka scratches a paw against Rory's bedroom door and whines, shifting Luke's focus, "What is he doing?"

Lorelai sighs, "I don't know. He's been doing that a lot lately. Hey, hey, buddy, there's nothing for you there. You need Geritol? He's been lethargic lately. He's depressed or something."

Luke calls him over, and reaches out to stroke his head, "Hmmm. Doesn't seem like he's in pain or anything. We'll just keep an eye on him, okay?"

She nods, petting Paul Anka, "Babette dropped off the information for doggy day care. I think he needs to start spending time with other dogs."

"Yeah, maybe that'll snap him out of it," Luke says, meeting Lorelai's concerned gaze, "He'll be okay."

Paul Anka rests his head against her knee, and she strokes his head, "Yeah, he'll be okay," she pauses, "So, let's talk Halloween..."

/

"Where are the bleachers?" Lorelai asks, trudging behind Luke as they arrive at the soccer field. 

"Oh, they don't have bleachers at soccer games. They just stand on the sidelines," he answers, ushering her along. 

Lorelai gives him a shocked look, "You mean to tell me your _very_ pregnant fiancé has to stand for the entire duration of this?!"

Luke smirks, "That's why I brought my camping chairs," he shakes the two slim bags that were slung over his shoulder. 

"You are a good baby daddy," she says, squeezing his arm. "You got a nice crowd here, Mr. Sponsor."

He smiles in spite of himself, clearly proud, but wanting to maintain his tough, 'Luke-branded' front, "Not bad, not bad."

"So, these are soccer moms, huh?"

"You sizing up the competition or something?" Luke says with a chuckle.

Lorelai shrugs, "Maybe. I'll probably end up being one of these moms, if these kicks are any indication of our kid's future interests," she rubs her belly, "But you know Mommy wants you to be future Rockette instead, don't you?" she coos, making Luke roll his eyes.

"Luke!"

"You came!"

Megan and Tilly run over to him, smiling brightly. Luke grins, "Hey girls. You ready to play?"

Megan nods, "We hope so."

"The other team? I think you're gonna wipe the floor with them."

"I think we got a shot," Megan says confidently.

"No, I _know_ you've got a shot. Don't forget--we're having a little celebration at the diner afterwards, win or lose," Luke reminds them.

"Cool! We better get back out there," Tilly says, and the two of them head onto the field.

"Bend it like Beckham!" Lorelai shouts, looking to Luke with a proud smile, "That was very cute. See, you're a natural dad."

He blushes, a smile creeping across his face, but doesn't say anything. Lorelai pokes his arm, "You can say, 'Thank you, honey. I know I'm a natural dad.'"

"Just trying to keep up with you."

"Oh, trying to keep up with my natural dad skills? Thanks for finally noticing," she deadpans, giving him a playful push.

"You know what I meant," he says, setting up the chairs.

"Oh, so, I dropped Paul Anka off at doggy day care this morning. It was a little scary," Lorelai admits, plopping down in a chair.

Luke looks over at her, "That'll be good for him."

"He seemed okay. He was a little standoffish at first, but then he got very friendly--with the cash register, and then a dog ran up to him, and he played dead for a couple seconds, and when that didn't work, he ran off playing with the other dogs. I think it's gonna do him some good," she says, absentmindedly running her hand over her belly.

"I think so too," Luke says, sitting down next to her, "Oh! Here we go."

Lorelai glances out to the field, "Oh, who got the ball?"

"Well, The Bobcats lost the toss, so the other team got the ball," Luke explains.

She groans dramatically, "So, we've lost already?!"

"Just the toss. It means nothing."

"How many points are we behind 'cause we screwed up the tossing?" Lorelai asks incredulously. 

Luke sighs, "Nothing. It just started. Zero to zero."

"Were we talking during the toss? How did we miss the toss?!" she says in a panic.

"Just watch the game."

/

"It was... it was..." 

" _Violent,_ " Luke finishes, the second they get in his truck and close the doors.

Lorelai stares straight ahead, still trying to process what she just witnessed, "It was _Scarface_ on a soccer field."

Luke nods, "Those sweet little eleven-year-old girls. Megan. _Tilly._ "

"Killers! Killers all!"

"Did you see the blood on their jerseys?!" Luke asks in shock.

Lorelai scoffs, "Uh, yeah, I did! It was a little hard to miss. And the refs?! They looked like they were afraid to call penalties!"

"Can you blame them?"

"I swear, Coffee better want to be a pretty ballerina, because I don't think I can watch another game like that," Lorelai says, putting both hands on her belly, rubbing it affectionately.

Luke nods, "Me either," he pauses, "At least they won."

"Yeah. Bobcats, 37. Humanity, nothing!"

The two of them drive back to Stars Hollow, continuing to rant about how intense the soccer game was. Luke was going to the diner to later serve the Bobcats their victory dinner and Lorelai was heading to the inn for a couple hours to get some work done. When she finally picks up Paul Anka from doggy day-care, she notices how lethargic he is during the car ride home. He didn't even want to get out of the passenger seat. She finally gets him to go into the house, where he flops down near the entry way, clearly not himself. Lorelai squats down to pet him and he whimpers slightly as she strokes his fur, "What's the matter, boy?" 

She calls the vet's office, explaining what's been going on with Paul Anka for the past few days. The vet seemed pretty confident it was just some sort of bug, and if he gets worse, to bring him in. After the phone call, she's still feeling anxious about her beloved canine's current state and knows she needs to call Luke and have him calm her down. He answers with his typical, "Luke's."

"Hey, it's me."

He can hear the nerves in her voice, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's Paul Anka. He's sick," she says wistfully.

Luke knew Paul Anka had been not quite himself lately, but he thought it wasn't anything to worry about. "He's sick?"

"Yeah. He doesn't want to walk or eat or anything. He's never been sick in his whole life. I mean, I haven't had him his whole life, so it's possible that he's been sick in his life. I'll never know for sure, but to me it's as if it's the first time he's ever been sick," she explains, not taking her eyes of her dog.

Luke sighs, "Did he eat something bad? Remember when he got into the chocolate?"

"No, I don't think so. He's hardly touched his dog food the past two days. I called the vet, but he just said that he's pretty sure Paul Anka has some sort of bug and to let him be until it passes. Luke, I just feel so helpless," she says, the panic clear in her tone.

"Well, I got the team here, but as soon as the leave I'll come home."

She sighs, "Okay, thanks. Hurry home."

"Hey, he's going to be fine. Just let Paul Anka be. Dogs are dogs. They know how to heal," Luke reassures her.

"Paul Anka isn't a dog. He's some sort of hybrid. Maybe that vet doesn't specialize in hybrids."

Luke smiles to himself. Even in her current state of distress, she managed to be witty. "Just sit tight. I'll be there soon."

When Luke finally gets back to the house, he finds Lorelai on the couch with Paul Anka, his head laying in her lap. He was wearing the Bobcats jersey Lorelai insisted Luke order for the dog, too. Luke comes up behind her, kissing the top of her head, "How's it going?"

"He was cold so I put his jersey on him," she says, voice wavering. 

Luke walks around to the other side of the couch, sitting on the coffee table, "I think he likes it."

"Yeah. He just doesn't want to eat anything. I had all these milk-bones ready for him, but he doesn't want anything," she says pointing to the pile of treats on the table. 

Luke spies the turkey baster sitting next to the milk-bones, "What's the baster for?"

Lorelai sniffles, "In case he's thirsty, but he can't lift his head, so I can just shoot water in his mouth."

He reaches out to pet the dog, softly running his fingers on Paul Anka's head, "Got it."

She sighs, brushing her hair behind her shoulder, "He doesn't seem to want anything."

"He's gonna be okay, he's strong."

Lorelai continues stroking Paul Anka's back, "He's so helpless. It must be so awful to be sick when you're a dog... 'cause you can't run or play and you don't watch TV or do anything to pass the time. Watching a lot of TV is the only good part about being sick."

Luke nods, "I know."

"And the thing with the shoes. He was trying to tell me something."

"What?"

Lorelai shakes her head sadly, "He was trying to tell me to put my shoes on and take him to the vet, because he felt something coming on, and he was trying to ward it off, and I didn't take him."

Luke rests a hand on her knee, "I don't think that's why he was playing with your shoes."

She blinks back tears, but Luke can see them start to drip down her cheeks, "I tried _so_ hard. I have a list of things that he's afraid of on the fridge, and I tried to do the right thing. I should not have socialized him at Kirk's doggy day care. I should have taken him to the best doggy day care in the country, even if it was in Seattle. That's where I should have taken him."

"He's fine hanging with Kirk," Luke reassures her, rubbing comforting circles against her leg.

Lorelai shakes her head adamantly, "I did this wrong. I did this all _wrong_. How could I have let this happen? How did I not see it coming? How didn't I step in and do something, and...why can't I fix these things? I'm a bad mother!"

It physically pains Luke to hear her say this. She doesn't give herself nearly enough credit, especially now. As much as she wants him to believe she's talking about Paul Anka, Luke knows she really is talking about Rory. 

"Lorelai, you are not a bad mother," he says, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, "These things just happen sometimes. You can't always step in and fix them."

"I should be able to..."

"No. You did everything you could have done. It is not your fault--none of it," he says firmly, but comforting.

She fights back tears, "I just want to fix everything... I want things to go back to how they were before."

"Things are going to be fine. I know they are," Luke says softly.

The rapid knocking at the front door made both of them jump, and they look at each other in confusion. "Were you expecting someone?" Luke asks her.

"No... who knocks instead of ringing the bell?"

Luke gets up to answer it, and he's met with his nephew staring back at him from the other side. "Jess?"

"What the _hell_ is going on with Rory?!"


	15. Rory Gilmore's Big Move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say how blown away I am by everyone who has been reading, and commenting such kind, incredible things on this work. It truly means so much to me to hear your positive feedback. If I can make even one person's day a little brighter through this work, I'm thrilled beyond all words. Thank you all so, so much. 
> 
> Wow, 15 chapters down already! Baby Danes will be making her appearance soon :)

Luke stared at his nephew in confusion, while Jess brushed past him into the house. "Rory dropped out of Yale?! She dropped out of _Yale?!"_

Lorelai looks at him blankly, "Uh, yeah...she did."

"How did this happen?!" 

Luke shuts the door and joins them in the living room. "I take it you saw Rory..."

Jess scoffs, "Yeah, I sure did. Enjoyed seeing that blonde dick from Yale, too."

"Logan was with her?" Lorelai asks hesistantly.

He nods, "I went over there to see her, and tell her about my book. Luke finally broke down and told me where she was living, and alluded to the two of you getting in some sort of a fight. We were going to grab a bite to eat when that jackass showed up, and everything kind of spiraled," he pauses, "She needs to go back to school."

"I _know_ she needs to go back to school. I want her to go back to school, but I can't tell her what to do. Rory's twenty-one. She needs to take responsibility for her actions and figure it out herself," Lorelai says forcefully, still stroking Paul Anka's back.

Jess runs a hand along his jaw, "You didn't try talking her out of it?"

"I tried, Jess. I swear to you, I did. But there came a point when I couldn't do the hand-holding anymore. She wasn't going to listen to me. I didn't give her the option to move home and bum around Stars Hollow, and she didn't like that. So, she went to her grandparents. And that is where she needs to be until she gets her priorities straight again."

Luke studies his nephew carefully, "So, you two talked?"

"Yeah, we did, a little. It was weird, you know, seeing her in that house. Talking about that DAR thing? That's not her," Jess says, a hint of sadness in his tone, "And that guy... she doesn't need him. He doesn't deserve to be with a girl like Rory."

Lorelai sighs, giving him a soft smile, "Well, that's the first thing we've ever agreed on."

Jess looks up at her and a slight smile creeps across his face. He sighs and shakes his head, "I just feel like we have to do something."

Luke pats him on the back, "I know. But, Lorelai's right, Rory needs to find her way back herself."

They all sit in silence, until Jess speaks again, as he finally realizes the awkwardness of himself flying in like this. "Sorry to barge in... I just needed to blow off a little steam, I guess. I'll let myself out."

"You're always welcome here, Jess," Lorelai says genuinely. 

He studies her for a while, and slowly nods, "Thanks, Lorelai."

"Do you need a place to crash tonight? You can stay at the apartment," Luke offers.

Jess shrugs, "Yeah, that might not be so bad. Might even bring back some fond memories," he says sarcastically, giving Luke a smirk before heading out the door, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Just try not to trash the place."

Luke heads back into the living room, sitting next to Lorelai on the couch. "Well, that's more than I've heard Jess say in the entire time I've known him," she says immediately.

"Yeah," Luke pauses, "He really does care about her, you know."

Lorelai meets his gaze, quickly shifting it downward, "I know that. I know he does."

"I get it. The two of you haven't always seen eye-to-eye, and yeah, he _did_ act like a smug little shit when he was younger. But, he's different now. He's much more grounded."

She shoots him a questioning glance, "What are you saying?"

Luke sighs, running his hand across his forehead, "He's still hung up on Rory, okay?! He always has been, and he probably always will be."

Lorelai looks down at Paul Anka, running her hand through his fur while she processed what Luke told her. She knew Jess had feelings for Rory ages ago, but she thought by now they had fizzled out, or he had moved on. After his strong reaction tonight, he clearly hadn't. "Yeah, I kind of gathered that after his explosion about Logan."

"Yeah, well, there it is," Luke says quickly, almost getting embarrassed over it, like he said too much. "Are you okay?"

Lorelai nods, "I'll be okay. I just need Paul Anka to start feeling like his old self again."

"His neurotic self you mean?" Luke says with a small smile.

She glares at him, " _Quirky_ ," she reiterates, for what seemed like the thousandth time. "Hey, Luke? Can you bring him upstairs to our room tonight? I'd just feel better if I could keep an eye on him. I'll bring his dog bed up."

Luke nods, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Sure. I'll try taking him outside first. You go get ready for bed. Everything is going to be okay."

Lorelai sighs, and gives him a small smile. "Okay, thanks."

"I'll be up in a minute," he says, carefully scooping up Paul Anka and making his way outside, hoping that the dog would take care of business efficiently. He sets Paul Anka down in the grass, who looks up at him with disdain, as if how dare he take him out of Lorelai's lap--or more accurately, what was _left_ of her lap. The canine was definitely not himself, as he typically enjoyed going outside for any number of minutes, but to really solidify how he felt, Paul Anka proceeded to barf on Luke's shoes. 

He looks down at the dog with a mixture of disgust and pity, and sighs audibly, rubbing his temple. "You just had to do that, didn't you?"

/

"Luuuuuke! Are you ready?"

He sighs, putting on the bowtie that completed his costume. "I still can't believe you talked me into this..."

Lorelai waltzes into the room, wearing an outfit that would make June Cleaver herself jealous. "I can. All I had to do was flip my hair and cry a little."

Luke rolls his eyes, but can't help to let himself stare at her in awe. "I really like this look on you," he says, raising his brows suggestively. 

"Why, Lucas Danes, are you insinuating what I think you are?" she says, clutching her pearls, while using an airy voice that would make any 1950s TV housewife proud, "I am a proper lady after all," she pauses wrapping her arms around his neck, "But if you are implying what I think you are, you'll have to wait until my husband's not home."

He scoffs, "If you were so proper, how'd this happen?" he says, rubbing her belly.

She brings her ruby red lips into a pout, "Getting _much_ too caught up in our passionate lovemaking to even realize you forgot to wrap it..."

Luke shakes his head, "I look like such an idiot."

"You do not! We look amazing."

"Yeah, _you_ look amazing, I look like a dork," Luke says, adjusting the bowtie.

Lorelai shakes her head, wrapping her arms around his muscular arm, "I would definitely have a steamy affair with you if you were my milk man. I think you'd even have the power to make Donna Reed stray from Dr. Alex."

"I'll add that to my resume," he replies dryly. "I have to stop at the diner before we head to Patty's."

Lorelai adjusts the apron around her waist, smoothing it over her belly. "Fine by me. That means more people get to see how cute I look."

They make their way downstairs, where Paul Anka was happily eating a burger Luke had made him before they left. The dog was now back to his normal, yet quirky self, and it seemed the vet was right and he just had some sort of weird bug. "Bye Paul Anka! Mommy and Daddy won't be home too late," Lorelai chirps, patting his head.

"I am not his dad..."

"Shush! He'll _hear_ you!" 

Luke groans, following her outside. It was a beautiful Halloween night, and everyone was walking around town, so they decide to walk to the diner. Lorelai links her hand in Luke's and they set off in silence, before Luke asks her a question that just popped into his head, "Lorelai?"

"Yes, doll?"

"I think we need a new vehicle."

She turns to him, a confused expression on her face, "What? Why?"

"Well, I just started thinking about the fact that the Jeep isn't exactly made for a carseat, and neither is my truck."

Lorelai frowns, thinking about her beloved Jeep getting traded for some hideous 'mom-van.' "Huh, I never even thought about that. Would I have to give up the Jeep?"

"I don't know, maybe. I mean, we don't have to decide anything right now, but it's not like we have a ton of time to go car shopping either," Luke thinks out loud as they walk into town.

She sighs, "I really don't want to give up the Jeep yet. I'm not ready to let her go. She still needs me!"

Luke ushers her into the diner, "Don't worry about it now, we can talk later."

Lane was working behind the counter and Lorelai sits down in front of her, "Hey, Lane!"

She looks at Lorelai quickly, trying not to make eye-contact, "Oh... hi, Lorelai."

"You stuck here tonight?"

Lane again, looks past her, "Uh-huh... I'll probably go to Patty's after we close."

Lorelai leans forward on her elbows, studying the girl intently, "Lane? Is something going on? You're acting funny."

"Funny? What? No..."

"What's wrong?" Lorelai persists.

Lane sighs, "Rory moved in with me."

"She... but why? What happened?" Lorelai asks in genuine shock.

"I don't really know. We haven't had the in-depth conversation yet. She just said she moved out of her grandparents' house and needed a place to crash," she explains.

Lorelai nods slowly, "Huh. Wow, that's pretty big."

"Yeah. And she didn't tell me if I could say anything to you, so I just assumed I shouldn't," Lane says with a shrug, "Your costume is very cute, by the way. Luke in white pants and a bow-tie is quite an interesting look."

She grins, "Right?! He's been complaining the _whole_ day, but I think he makes a very sexy milk man," she pauses, "Hey, thank you for letting Rory crash."

"I mean, she's small. How much room can she take up, right?"

Lorelai raises a brow, "Did she bring her books?"

Lane sighs, "Good point. Hey--are you okay with this?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just a little curious I guess," Lorelai admits.

"Well, I'll let you know when I find out more."

"Thanks, kid," she says, as Luke comes into view, "You ready to go, Butch?"

He shoots her a displeased look, "In the five minutes that I stepped out, I ran into Patty, who has clearly been day-drinking her punch, and she decided to get a little _handsy_ ," he rants, "And then Babette comes over out of nowhere, and she's joined by a bunch of their crazy friends, and they're all prodding me like I'm a tenderloin--"

Lorelai's eyes flicker and she opens her mouth, but Luke interrupts her, "Go on... say it."

" _Dirty,_ " she says barely above a whisper.

" _Anyway,_ I can't go out there like this!"

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "Yes, you can. They'll leave you alone when you got me on your arm."

"Hasn't stopped them before."

She tilts her head, thinking about all the previous encounters with Patty and Babette, "Yeah, they are pretty relentless. Just try to keep the sexiness to a minimum, and save it all up for me tonight," she says, eyes sparkling.

"I'll try to control myself."

/

A week after Halloween, Lorelai comes home later than usual, after a long day spent at the inn. When she attempts to open her door, she realizes it's chained shut. "Luke? Hello? Luke! Our door is chained! Which is especially funny considering I've never had a chain on this door."

"Lorelai?"

"No... Land shark. Candygram. Here's Johnny. An extremely pregnant woman about to explode out here," she groans, "Uh! Luke, open the door!"

Luke opens the door, immediately putting a blindfold over her eyes, "Whoa! Okay, I thought _I_ was supposed to be the kinky, horny one..."

"Sssh! Now come with me," he says leading her into the house. 

She holds onto his arms tightly, "What's going on? There better not be a weird sex cult in our living room."

"Lorelai," Luke groans, stopping her in the middle of their living room. "Alright."

She pulls the blindfold off her eyes, jaw dropping when she takes in her surroundings. The living room was finished, and it was exactly what Lorelai had dreamt up. "Luke... it's done. Is it really done?"

He nods, "Yep. Paid Tom a bonus to get everything finished up by today."

Lorelai's excitement fades into a frown, "Oh? I didn't even get to say goodbye..."

"Goodbye?"

"Yeah, I wanted to have a, you know, 'we're done' party. Buy 'em some pizza," she explains.

Luke sighs, "They've had plenty of pizza," he pauses, "I thought you'd be happy we're finally done. I mean, the place was covered in dust!"

"I _am_ happy. I'm just sad at the same time. You've never been with a woman before?"

He turns her toward the stairs, "Alright, the next thing you have to see is upstairs."

Luke leads her to the new part of the house, which contained the nursery. He pushes open the door and Lorelai walks in, slowly taking it in. It really was perfect. The soft, yellow walls were offset by the crisp, white furniture they'd picked out. Lorelai stands in the middle of the room, her hands pressed to her belly. "Wow," she manages to say, a couple tears dripping down her cheeks. She notices a beautiful wooden rocking chair in the corner, and doesn't recognize it from the things they had ordered. "Wait--did you make that?"

Luke's face turns red and he puts his hands in his pockets, "Yeah. I thought, you know, I should build her something, and so, I just kept working on it, piece by piece, whenever I had free time at the diner."

Lorelai's heart swells, "Oh, Luke... it's beautiful."

He comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm glad you like it."

She nods, quickly wiping her eyes, "I love it. It's perfect," she puts Luke's hands on the center of her belly, and rests hers on top of his, "She's going to be here so soon."

Luke smiles when he feels the baby move around, "Yeah. It's coming fast."

"I think this is it."

He squints in confusion, "Hmm?"

"I think this is the whole package," she says, turning to look at him, her bright blue eyes full of tears. He's instantly transported back to that very memorable night several years ago, when Lorelai came into the diner long after it had closed, needing coffee to ease her very bad night. She told him about Christopher making the decision to be with Sherry because he found out she was pregnant. Lorelai was hurt, and she told Luke about really wanting the 'whole package' but didn't think she'd ever get it.

Luke runs his thumb over her cheekbone lovingly, bringing her lips to his. "Me too."

She allows the kiss to linger, fully letting herself enjoy the sensation of Luke's lips against hers. "I love you so much," she whispers.

He wraps his arms around her, pulling her into him, "I love you so much," he says softly into her hair. Lorelai wraps her arms around his torso, and sighs contently into his chest. By this point, she's sure it's her favorite place to be in the entire world.

"God, I can't wait to meet her, Lorelai," he says, putting a hand on her belly again. 

"I know. It's the most amazing thing in the world when you finally get to hold your kid for the first time," she pauses, "The lead-up ain't so great though, pal."

He kisses her forehead, "It'll be worth it."

"Sorry in advance if I pelt your pretty, pretty face with ice chips," she says, stroking her thumb across the stubble on his jaw. 

Luke rolls his eyes, "I'm not pretty."

"Okay fine--your manly, manly face."

He smirks, "That's better."

"I really love the house, Luke," Lorelai says, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

Hearing her confirmation makes him incredibly happy. Luke knew how much Lorelai loved her house, and he wanted the remodel to live up to her expectations. It no longer felt like 'Lorelai's house' anymore. It truly did feel like their place. 

"I'm glad. It's really starting to feel like home, isn't it?"

She nods, "Yeah, it does. I'm so happy you moved in with me. I never thought I'd like having a boy in the house, but you my friend, are the ideal housemate."

He flips the lights off in the nursery and the two of them walk back downstairs. "Hmmm, let's see. I feed you, I fix everything you break, I do the grocery shopping... yeah, I'd say I'm the ideal housemate."

"You forgot excellent lover," she adds with a grin, collapsing on the couch.

Luke snorts, "I thought that was a given."

Lorelai shakes her head fondly, "I swear, ever since you knocked me up Butch, you've been _very_ confident."

"Let me show you just how confident..." 

She giggles as he hovers over her, pressing kisses to her neck and chest. Lorelai sighs contently, running her hand through his hair. He's just slipped his hands under her shirt, when the phone rings. "Let the machine get it..." Lorelai mutters, her lips hungrily meeting Luke's.

"Mhhmm..." Luke mumbles into her mouth, while her hands eagerly start unbuttoning his flannel. 

The phone finally stops ringing and goes to the answering machine, and suddenly, Richard Gilmore's booming voice echoes through the living room, _"Lorelai! Pick up the phone, your mother is missing."_

Luke quickly sits up, " _And_... I'm done."

Lorelai groans audibly, swinging her legs off the couch, "Oh my god! Of all the times my father needs to get a hold of me..." She goes to the phone, grabbing it quickly, "Dad?"

"Lorelai! Thank god! Why didn't you pick up right away?"

She frowns and fixes her disheveled top, "I was a little busy, sorry. Now, what exactly is the problem?"

Richard sighs, "I came home from Seattle, and she wasn't here. The bed doesn't even look like it's been slept in."

"You have maids, Dad. They probably made the bed," Lorelai deadpans.

"Your mother _fired_ the maid. As far as I know, a new one hasn't been hired yet. Plus, I haven't heard from her in two days. I had a couple of phone calls yesterday, but they were fuzzy. I couldn't hear the other person, and then they hung up," he explains. 

"Well, that could have been mom."

It's quiet for a moment, and then Richard speaks. "Rory's moved out. Did you know this?"

"Yes, I heard," Lorelai pauses, "What happened?"

Richard scoffs, "Oh, I don't know what happened. I came home the other day and two strange boys were in my house moving Rory's things. She didn't even tell me she was going."

"Did she and mom fight?"

"How would I know? I don't _know_ where your mother is."

Lorelai shoots Luke a frustrated look, and he shrugs. "Did you try calling her cell?"

"No, I did not call her cell. In addition to losing my wife, I lost all control of my faculties...of _course_ I called her cell!" Richard explodes.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, dad. I haven't heard from mom or Rory," Lorelai says, the irritation clear in her voice at this point.

He sighs, "I'm calling the club. If you hear anything call me immediately!"

"I will," Lorelai says, clicking off the phone and walking over to Luke. "Oh my god. My mother is awol. She and Rory must have had a fight or something. Something happened there, something big. And of course I don't have Rory's cellphone number because I had to give her space like a big, stupid idiot. I should have my head examined. Remind me to have my head examined."

Luke nods, "Will do... So, they had a fight? And she just took off?"

Lorelai stands across from him, one hand resting on her lower back, while her other gesticulated wildly, "I guess. All I know is what I told you, that Lane said Rory's staying at her place now. It makes the most sense that some big fight went down between the two of them, 'cause Mom would never go off the grid like this, unless she was _really_ mad."

"Where do you think she went?"

She shrugs, sitting down next to Luke, "I have no idea. Gah! Of _course_ I have to deal with this completely unnecessary situation now." 

Luke runs his hand over her leg, comforting her, "What can I do to help?"

"Let me try calling her," Lorelai says, dialing her mother's cell. It rings several times before Emily must've picked up. "Mom?! Have you called dad? Where are you? ... What? What are you... Okay, just stay there, Mom... Now, what was the hangar number again?"

/

Lorelai and Luke finally pull into Hartford, going to the hangar her mother told her she was at. "I can't believe this..." Lorelai grumbles, unbuckling her seatbelt. "I'll be right back."

She makes her way inside, and steps onto the plane, "Mom?"

"I'm in the cockpit!" Emily shouts.

Lorelai sighs, "Oh. Add that to the list of things I never thought I'd hear my mother say."

Emily comes into view, looking like her normal, put together self. "Well, hello Lorelai. What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I'm much more interested in what you're doing here?"

"I'm looking at a plane."

Lorelai crosses her arms over her belly, "At 8:30 in the evening?"

Emily scowls, "Well, they just it got back here!"

"Okay, _why_ are you looking at a plane?"

"Because you don't do something like buy a plane without looking at it first," Emily says, as if it was more than obvious why she was there.

Lorelai studies her carefully, "Mom. Dad is really worried about you."

"He is?"

"Yes. That's why he called me in a panic tonight. He couldn't reach you. He got home from Seattle and you weren't anywhere to be found, plus the bed was made and you're currently between maids, so what gives?"

Emily scoffs, "Oh, for heaven's sake! I did that. People don't even think I can make a bed? I can make a bed. I usually wind up remaking the bed after the maid makes it because she made it wrong the first place. I wonder if these seats could be moved around..."

"Mom."

"Yes?"

"You are not going to buy a plane," Lorelai says evenly.

Emily throws her a glare, "Tell your father I'm fine and I'll be home in an hour."

Lorelai shifts her weight, pressing a hand to her lower back again, fully feeling her pregnancy as of late. "Mom, please."

"This plane is a time-share. We'll share it with three other people. The pilot is always on call, which means we can go anywhere we want at the drop of a hat," she explains.

"Where would you want to go at the drop of a hat?"

Emily turns to Lorelai, folding her arms over her chest, "Anywhere, everywhere! I could travel with your father when he works."

"You can do that now."

"Well, you and Luke can borrow it. You can take it up to Maine for lobster rolls or down to Florida for some sun. This fabric is just horrible. It has to go. It all has to go."

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "It's a time-share. You'd have to share it with three other people."

"Then I'll buy the whole damn plane myself!" Emily shouts, making Lorelai jump at her tone. "Okay, sorry."

Emily smooths her skirt, attempting to regain control of herself, "You know what? I am tired of all this. I am tired of your attitude toward me. You look at me as a thing of amusement."

"No, I don't."

"Something to be pitied. To feel sorry for. 'Poor, out-of-touch Emily. She has nothing. She lives to organize parties and frivolous affairs. Who would want to do that? To be that?'" she mocks. 

Lorelai shakes her head, "Mom, I've never thought that."

"If I want a plane, I'll buy a plane!"

"Okay! Good! Go for it then!" Lorelai shouts, getting sick of talking in circles.

Emily stands directly in front of her, fighting back tears. "It's my fault that Rory dropped out of Yale. It's my fault that she didn't go back. It's my fault that she's with Logan. It's my fault that she's not happy. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault. Rory made a choice."

"That's right, it's not my fault! I did nothing but take care of her. I bought her clothes. I got her a job. I guided her. I threw parties for her and introduced her to new people, new things, and she just... the way she talked to me, you would have been _very_ proud," Emily huffs.

Lorelai runs her hand across her belly, "No."

"Oh, yes! She looked at me just like you used to. With that defiant, 'who are you to be telling me what to do?' sort of look. Then she left. Packed her things and moved out when I wasn't even there to see her go. No 'thank you,' no 'goodbye.' You would have been very, very proud," she says tearfully.

"It's not the same, Mom, what happened with Rory. It's not the same," Lorelai says quietly.

Emily wipes a tear away quickly, embarrassed that Lorelai is seeing her so emotional. "I lost her, just like I lost you. Feels remarkably similar to me... and it's going to happen all over again," she says nodding to Lorelai's stomach, "You're going to keep this baby away from me too, because I'm such a horrible person in your eyes!"

"Mom, no. You didn't lose Rory. She was never supposed to be there in the first place. She was always supposed to be at school. And I don't _want_ to keep the baby away from you, but you need to understand that I can't keep putting myself in these situations. You have to realize that we are two _very_ different people. The way I choose to raise my kids does not get to be decided by you. Luke and I are the only ones that get to choose how to parent her," Lorelai says, pausing to take a deep breath. "I don't think you're a horrible person, Mom. I know you love me. And I know you love being a grandma. So, I don't want to keep her, or any other future grandchildren away from you. But, you need to respect me... and Luke, too. We can't keep on like this."

Emily stares down at the ground, "And what about you respecting me?"

Lorelai sighs, "Yes, it obviously goes both ways, but, it is nearly impossible for me to give you that, when _every single thing_ I do, is met with the highest level of judgement from you."

She can tell her mother is on the edge of letting her guard down, but instead, she holds back. "Just let me buy my plane, Lorelai. Let me be frivolous and shallow, won't you, please?"

Lorelai nods, realizing no progress is going to be made at this point, and turns to exit the plane, "Okay... And just for the record, you didn't lose me."

Emily watches her go, and slumps in one of the seats, her head in her hands. She wasn't sure if it was how genuine Lorelai was that night, or if what Lorelai was saying was true, that made her cry like this. Maybe it was both. It could be that everything changed after her fight with Rory. The truth of the matter was that she did so desperately want to be involved in her daughter, and granddaughters' lives. She wanted to be there when the new baby was born. She wanted to make things right again with Rory. Yes, Emily Gilmore would have to swallow her pride, and try her hardest not to get in the way of Lorelai anymore. And for her, that was not going to be easy.


	16. The Prodigal Daughter Returns

"Alright, Lorelai. Everything is looking great."

"Ha! You hear that? I'm the epitome of health!" Lorelai says, flashing Luke a victorious smile.

Luke rolls his eyes and looks to Dr. Price, "If only you knew what she put on her pancakes yesterday..."

Lorelai glares at him, "Shush! I've given up coffee for this pregnancy, Luke. That of itself is a miracle. Any other judgements about my diet are not welcome."

Dr. Price smiles fondly at the couple, "It's okay for Lorelai to indulge--a _little_ bit," she says, stopping Lorelai from making another comment. "Are you able to get some sleep?"

"Yeah, off and on. It's definitely getting harder to get comfortable nowadays."

Dr. Price nods, "That's unfortunately the downside to being in the home stretch. Even though you still have about eight weeks left, she's probably starting to run out of room in there, making everything little more uncomfortable."

"Ugh, you're telling me sister."

She gets the ultrasound equipment set up and Lorelai squeezes Luke's hand, "Now for the fun part!" she chirps and he smiles, giving her hand a squeeze back.

"Okay, Lorelai. You know the drill," Dr. Price says, and Lorelai pushes her top up to reveal her belly. She spreads gel on her stomach before turning on the machine, "A little pressure... and there she is."

It never fails that Lorelai gets misty-eyed when she sees her baby on the screen. There was something incredible about seeing the baby go from an unrecognizable bean, to a little person, who's features you could make out clearer and clearer at every ultrasound. Luke never could break his gaze from the monitor. He always breathed a bit easier after seeing his daughter wiggle around inside Lorelai. 

"She's getting so big!" Lorelai exclaims.

"The thirty-two week ultrasound is always fun because you can really see their features at this point," Dr. Price says, moving the doppler. "Let's see if we can get a good profile shot."

Lorelai gently taps the side of her belly, "Come on, Coffee! We want to see if you're ready for Vogue."

Dr. Price looks to Luke with an amused smile, "Still haven't been able to get her to budge?"

Luke shakes his head, "Oh, trust me. She's not going to be named Coffee. We've still been argu--mulling. _Mulling_ over names."

" _He's_ been mulling," Lorelai interjects with a wink.

Dr. Price grins, "Truly a match made in heaven. Let's see... oh! There's her profile. I'll get a picture for you."

Lorelai grins, "Look at you, pretty girl!" she coos as she rubs her belly, "Definitely Vogue worthy."

The sound of a wooshing heartbeat floods the room, and Lorelai looks up at Luke, who has a blissful smile on his face, "She's perfect."

He nods, kissing her forehead, "Just like her mom."

Lorelai brushes her thumb against his cheek, "Hmmm... I think I'll keep you around, Butch."

"I'll get the sonogram printed, and I'll see you guys in two weeks. If anything changes, please don't hesitate to call me," Dr. Price says.

"Bye, baby girl! Keep on growing!" Lorelai says before she turns the monitor off, "Hopefully nothing does, but yes, I will."

Lorelai wipes the gel off her stomach and fixes her top. Luke offers her a hand up and she thankfully takes it. Dr. Price hands them each a copy of the sonogram on their way out, and while Lorelai can't stop talking about how adorable the baby is, Luke can't do anything but stare at the photos. In eight weeks or less, he was going to be a father. She notices that he's stopped walking and she pauses by the Jeep, "Luke?"

He's snapped out of his daze, "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Luke studies her carefully. Her delicate hand resting on the top of her belly, rubbing it in the sweet, protective way she always does, especially as of late. Her eyes flicker in confusion and he finally releases a deep breath, his overwhelming happiness apparent in the smile that is now plastered across his face. "I'm... incredible."

Lorelai now realizes he's just processing things in his typical silent-Luke way, and breathes a sigh of relief, when she knows he's fine. "Me too, Luke."

He walks over to the passenger side of the Jeep and opens the door for her, and kisses the side of her head, "Good." 

By the time he gets behind the wheel, she's looking at the sonogram again. "Can you believe she's real? Sometimes it still seems unreal to me that I'm having another baby. I always thought--you know, maybe, if the time was right... but the older Rory got, the more I just assumed it would never happen. And, I know this happened a little unconventionally, but I'm really, really happy it did, Luke."

Luke smiles, "We've always been good at unconventional," he says, leaning in to peck a kiss to her lips. "Honestly, sometimes it's still unbelievable to me that I get to wake up next to you every morning, let alone have a baby with you. But if fate is real, then I think it was destined to happen."

Lorelai gives him a confused look and he explains. "Your dream? You know, the one where we were married and you were pregnant with twins?"

"Oh my god! That's right! See, Rory even told me it was my subconscious telling me I was secretly in love with you and wanted to have your babies. I totally denied it at the time, but... I don't know, I started thinking about the 'what-if?' and then all of a sudden being more than just good pals seemed awfully appealing."

He backs out of the parking space, shooting her brazen glance, "And then it only took us _three_ more years to get it together."

"Three years of shameless flirting!" 

"Yeah, from _you,_ " Luke challenges.

Lorelai scoffs in disbelief, "You are insane. I did not flirt. I was just being me."

Luke bursts out laughing, "Lorelai, you mercilessly played the flirting card, and you know it."

She crosses her arms over her chest, "Well, what did you expect me to do when you were so pretty to look at?"

He shakes his head, but a smile appears on his face. They make it back to Stars Hollow and Luke drops Lorelai off at the house before going to the diner. Lorelai was going to change clothes and head to the inn, but she notices the light flashing on her answering machine. She hits the play button and is surprised when an all too familiar voice echoes out. _"Hey, Lor--haven't said that in a while. Anyway, hope you're good. Hope Rory is good. I wanted to talk to you. Nothing terrifying. I think I have good news. In fact, I know I have good news. Anyhow, I'm hoping you'll call me back and we can grab lunch, or something."_

Lorelai stares at the machine as if it's going to give her the answer as to why Chris was calling her, wanting to meet for lunch. She hadn't spoken to him since Richard and Emily's disastrous vow renewal, and hadn't planned on it unless deemed absolutely necessary. Did he even know she was pregnant? Did he know anything about Rory living with her grandparents and the fight they had? Did he know Lorelai was now an engaged woman? 

She sighs, playing the message one more time to make sure she heard it correctly. Yep, there it was. He had good news and he wanted to grab lunch. As harmless as it sounded, and Lorelai was sure that it was, she still hated the thought of telling Luke. Christopher was the one sore spot in their relationship that they just couldn't seem to iron out. Luke was not a fan of Chris. Chris was not a fan of Luke. She understood the mutual dislike, but Chris was Rory's dad after all. Luke would have to get used to the fact that she'll be permanently tied to him, whether he liked it or not. 

Lorelai groans audibly, running both hands along the sides of her belly, "Your daddy is not going to like hearing this..."

/

"This is a formal invitation, written by me, on the Dragonfly notepad, about five minutes ago, inviting you and Jackson to a housewarming dinner at my newly completed pad," Lorelai says, handing Sookie the paper. 

Her friend squeals in delight, "Oh! It's done!"

"Yes, it is. And I love it. Tom did such a great job making everything come together," she says, taking a scone from the basket. "Oh, and check this out," Lorelai adds, handing Sookie the latest sonogram photo.

"Look at her! I can't believe it's almost time. How's Luke holding up?"

"He's doing the whole nervous, soon-to-be father thing. Asking me every five minutes if I'm feeling okay. Last night, she kicked me in the ribs pretty hard and I winced, and I swear, Luke looked like he wanted to call 9-1-1," Lorelai says with a shake of her head. "It's very adorable and sweet that he's so concerned, but the man is going to give himself a heart attack if he doesn't calm down pretty soon."

Sookie giggles, "I remember those days. When I was pregnant with Davey, I said my back hurt, and Jackson was convinced I needed to go to the hospital. Luke will chill out once he realizes you aren't going to explode."

Lorelai places a hand on her lower back, pressing against the spot that was extra achey. "I feel like I'm gonna explode, and I'm not talking about the pregnancy..."

"Huh?" Sookie asks, knitting her brows in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Christopher called this morning."

"Wait--what? What does he want?"

Lorelai shrugs, "I don't know. I was at my appointment and he left a message. He said he has good news and he wants to meet me for lunch."

"Hmmm. Seems a little suspicious that he'd call out of the blue like this. What'd Luke think about it?"

"Oh, that's the fun part. He went straight to the diner after we got back from Hartford, so he has no idea," Lorelai sighs.

Sookie shoots her a sympathetic look, "Oh boy, you still have to tell him... you _are_ going to tell him, right?"

" _Yes._ Of course I'm going to tell him. That's something we promised each other when he moved in. That we would start talking to each other about everything and be completely honest."

"Good. If there's one thing I've learned being married, it's that there's no point in hiding things. It'll always come back to bite you in the ass," Sookie pauses, sensing Lorelai's unwillingness to talk about the subject any further, "Ooo! I'll make chicken and dumplings for Saturday!"

/

"A real man doesn't use a charcoal chimney," Luke interjects as he and Jackson walk through the kitchen. 

Jackson scoffs, "Oh, so now I'm not a real man?"

"He is too. I have pictures to prove it," Sookie says with a smirk.

"Do you have a spray bottle?"

Luke stares blankly at him, "For what?"

"To spray the flames down if they get too high. Or do you just use a hose?" Jackson asks sarcastically.

"No, he blows them out with his man-breath," Lorelai mocks. 

"And then he challenges them to an arm-wrestling contest," Sookie adds, lowering her voice.

Lorelai looks to her friend and grins, "And then he insults the flame's mother and sleeps with its girlfriend." Both Luke and Jackson look at her in irritation, rolling their eyes as they walk outside. "The next time you come back, you better be carrying food!" she demands.

"Okay, the boys are busy. Show me the rest of the house! I want to see the nursery," Sookie exclaims.

Lorelai leads her upstairs, and opens the door to the nursery, "Wow! It's beautiful," Sookie says, clamping her hands over her heart. "She's going to be one fashionable baby," she grins, nodding to the tiny outfits and shoes Lorelai hadn't had time to put away yet. 

Lorelai picks up a little jean jacket, complete with cheetah print trim around the collar. "Yeah, I like to think she'll follow in my footsteps in that department, though Luke is definitely going to try to corrupt her."

Sookie giggles, then turns serious, "Oh, hey. How'd Luke take the whole Christopher thing?"

Lorelai freezes, putting the jacket back down with the rest of the clothes, "Oh... yeah. Uh..."

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

She groans, "Listen, I wanted to, I really did. But every day I put it off, it got a little easier to just pretend that I never got his message."

"Okay, okay," Sookie says, raising her hands in surrender, "As your best friend I'm not going to tell you what to do," she pauses, "But, you need to tell Luke before he assumes something weird is going on behind his back."

Lorelai folds her arms over her chest, "I thought you said you weren't going to tell me what to do."

"Well, I take it back. Best friends can take things back."

The phone starts ringing and the two of them go downstairs, the answering machine picking up just as Lorelai was going to grab it. She freezes when the caller starts talking. _"Hey, Lor, me again. Uh, I'm just calling to see if you got my last message..."_ Lorelai notices Luke standing nearby out of the corner of her eye. _"I know you're probably busy but uh, call me ba--"_ She quickly shuts off the machine, turning to Luke, "Hey! How's the food coming? I'm starving."

He's staring at her skeptically, his hands in his jean pockets, "Who was that?"

Lorelai shrugs, trying to form words, but Luke cuts her off before she can say anything. "It sounded like Christopher."

"Bye-bye," Sookie says, scurrying into the kitchen. Lorelai watches her go and her focus stays there, as she avoids Luke's questioning gaze. "Well, if you knew who it was, why'd you ask?"

"Were you going to tell me he called?"

Lorelai finally looks up at him and nods, "Luke, yes. He called earlier this week, and I should have told you, but I'm sorry, I just didn't. I don't even know what he wants, he said he has good news."

Luke studies her for a moment, shifting his weight, "Then why'd you turn the machine off when I walked in?"

"It was a reflex--I don't know..."

"A reflex?"

She sighs, "Yeah, I panicked. I didn't think. I looked up, and you were standing there."

"How long as this been going on?" he presses.

Lorelai looks over at him in genuine confusion, "What?"

"You talking to Christopher. I assume it's just talking, right?"

She scoffs, "Oh my god, _yes_ it's just talking... god, what am I saying? It's not even talking. It's not anything! There's nothing going on."

He nods, turning on his heel to go to the kitchen, "Fine."

"Are you leaving?"

"The burgers are done," he says in monotone.

Lorelai walks after him, "Stop. Let's talk about this."

"I don't want to argue in front of our guests..."

"Last time we were over, Sookie breast-fed Martha during appetizers. We owe them," Lorelai reasons.

Luke shoots her an irritated glance, "I won't discuss this with people in the house. It's rude."

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "No, it's rude to silently sulk through dinner and make them feel uncomfortable because they know we're fighting and we're pretending we're not fighting."

"We're not fighting!" he snaps, exiting through the back door. Lorelai watches him go and huffs in annoyance over his childish behavior. This shouldn't even be an issue, yet, if she'd just taken Sookie's advice and told him right away, they'd be avoiding this stupid argument all together.

The overwhelming awkwardness is apparent to everyone at the table, except for Jackson, who goes on about fish-heads and some guy called 'Tomato George.' Sookie attempts at breaking the tension, "The burgers are delicious, Luke."

"Oh, yeah. I like them burnt. You can't get anyone to really burn a burger anymore," Jackson adds jokingly, which doesn't get any kind of response. 

Lorelai looks to Sookie, "The chicken and dumplings are good, too." She catches Luke staring at her accusingly and she scowls, "What?"

He snorts, "Nothing."

"Nice snort."

"I didn't snort."

Jackson puts down his utensils with a clatter, "Did I miss something?"

"Always, honey," Sookie says sympathetically. 

He studies everyone at the table, and then leans back smugly, "Ohhh... I bet I know what's going on. It is not lost on me that the burgers with my world-famous rub are almost gone, while your butter burgers are still sitting there on the plate. You a little humbled now?"

Sookie coughs and shakes her head at him, "Jackson."

"My burgers are better!" He looks at Luke, "Admit defeat!"

"Sorry, he's just so excited to be around grown-ups," Sookie says apologetically.

Luke nods, "No, no--he's right. His burgers are better."

Jackson grins, "Thank you. I crown thee, burger king." 

"I can admit it. I have no trouble telling someone something no matter how uncomfortable it might make them," Luke says, staring right at Lorelai.

She shoots him an irritated glance, "Wow... They'll be debating the subtle complexities of that comment for years."

"Okay, I did miss something," Jackson interjects looking at everyone in confusion. 

"Luke and Lorelai are fighting," Sookie quickly informs him.

"We're _not_ fighting," Luke says under his breath.

Lorelai leans back in her chair, "No, because we don't fight in front of company."

Luke glances up at her, "It's rude."

"And we wouldn't want to be rude," Lorelai says sharply.

It's silent for several moments, before Luke opens his mouth again. "At least I'm not the one who started this..."

Lorelai all but throws down her silverware, "I'm sorry--are we talking about this now?"

"You _knew_ how I'd feel about it..."

"And you have absolutely no reason to be upset!"

Luke scoots his chair back, "I don't? You were hiding--"

"--I wasn't hiding anything!"

"You hung up the phone as I walked in."

Lorelai runs a hand through her hair in frustration, "You didn't let me explain. I was about to tell you what happened!"

"He called _five_ days ago and you didn't tell me about it! And at the moment, it was not appropriate to discuss it."

Lorelai groans dramatically, "So you'd rather just sit and stew and be mad for no reason?"

Luke pushes himself up from his chair, "So, it was just a weird coincidence that I walk in and Christopher _happens_ to be leaving a message, and it _happens_ to be the first time you've had contact with him in a month?"

"In almost a year, Luke! The last time I saw him was the last time you saw him!" she shouts, now standing as well. 

"Well, I don't believe in coincidences."

Lorelai really wants to strangle him in this moment, "This is not fair! You are being so ridiculous!"

Luke scoffs, "Sorry, it's too much of me to ask for a little honesty from my fiancé!" 

"Oh, my god. Enjoy Wisteria Lane, you major drama queen!"

He shakes his head, storming out of the room, "I'm done." 

Lorelai yells after him, "Wrap yourself in a towel and trip over a hedge on your way out!"

Sookie and Jackson look at each other in amazement. They hadn't had this interesting of a dinner in over three years. "Are you okay?"

Lorelai looks at Sookie and nods, "I'm fine. I'm sorry, you guys. I'll give Paul Anka the burger," she says, picking up her plate and walking out of the kitchen. 

"Was it because I brought up my meat-rub?" Jackson asks nervously.

"Yes, it was."

/

Lorelai knocks on the door of Luke's old apartment, knowing exactly that's where he ran off to. He has a feeling it's Lorelai and sighs, the guilt already getting to him. "Come in."

She opens the door, poking her head through, "Okay, see, instead of running off to your clubhouse, you're gonna have to join a rotisserie baseball league with the rest of the married men."

He chuckles, tapping his beer against the armrest of his chair, "Well, good thing I'm not a married man yet."

Lorelai walks toward him, holding out the plate she was carrying, "I brought you something to eat. You're going to need sustenance if we're going to go another ten rounds."

Luke sighs, "I'm never going to be okay with Christopher being in your life."

"I know, Luke. But I'm always going to have Christopher in my life."

He looks up at her and nods, "Yeah..."

"He is... Rory's father. I can't change that. I swear to you, this week was the first time I heard Christopher's voice since the vow-renewal, and I would have told you. I should have told you right away. I only put it off, because I was nervous about having this exact stupid fight happen... I'm sorry."

Luke shakes his head, "No, I'm sorry. I overreacted. I trust you, Lorelai, I do. He just makes me so... defensive and... overprotective, I guess."

"Yeah, we gotta start talking about this overprotective thing, Butch," she says, a small smile appearing on her face as she rubs her belly. 

"We can't hide things from each other."

She shakes her head, "I know. I even told that to Sookie--that you and I made a promise to each other that we'd be totally honest about things from here on out."

He nods, "I'm not going to like it when Christopher calls, but we have to tell each other everything. And I need to respect that he'll always be a part of your life... our lives."

"Agreed."

Luke smiles, "Come here."

Lorelai sets the plate down on the coffee table, "I'm a little heavy."

"Ssshhhh."

She lowers herself onto his lap, "I want a Barbie and a pony and roller skates and roller skates for the Barbie and for the pony..." she trails off as they press their lips together. He runs his hand soothingly over her stomach, "How are Sookie and Jackson doing?"

Lorelai grins, "I think they enjoyed watching a show for once that didn't have la-la playing the guitar."

He smirks, kissing her softly, "Good."

"Yeah... good."

"No more secrets?"

Lorelai nods, nuzzling her nose against his, "No more secrets." She presses her lips against his, letting them linger there until she has a thought. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"When I was in fifth grade, I told everybody Erik Estrada was my boyfriend and that we used to make out on his motorcycle."

"Thank you for telling me."

/

The next day, Luke promised Lorelai he'd make it up to her by making her brownies and watching some of her favorite movies. They were curled up on the couch, Lorelai comfortably nestled into his side while Paul Anka rested his head on her lap, in a deep sleep. They were halfway through _His Girl Friday_ , when the phone rang, making Paul Anka jump. 

"Uh, whoever that is, I hate them for disturbing movie night..." Lorelai trails, prepping to get up from the couch. 

"I can get it--" Luke offers, but she shakes her head. 

"No, it's okay, I have to pee anyways. Help me up?"

He pushes against her back, as she struggles to stand. "God, that's embarrassing. You better be cute, kid."

She waddles to the phone, grabbing it from the cradle, "Hello?"

"Mom?"

Lorelai's whole body freezes. It was Rory. Rory was _calling_ her. "Rory?!" she manages to get out.

"I got a job!"

Luke is already up, standing next to her after he heard her say Rory's name. "What? Where?" Lorelai says, looking up at Luke with sparkling eyes.

Rory grins on the other end, "At the Stamford Gazette. It pays less than I'll spend on gas to get there, but it's a job! A writing job."

"Yes!"

"And I'm going back to Yale. I already called them and talked to my Dean, and it's all arranged. I just have to find someplace to live, but, who cares. I'll figure it out," Rory says, the excitement apparent in her tone.

Lorelai feels tears start dripping down her cheeks, "And this is what you want?"

"Positive."

"Aw, Rory! That's my girl."

"I moved out of grandma and grandpa's house."

Lorelai wipes away her tears with her hand and then reaches for Luke's, giving it a squeeze. "Yeah, I know, I heard. Where are you right now?"

"On my way to see you," Rory says giddily.

"Oh my god, get your skinny little butt over here!" 

Rory giggles, "Well, if you insist. Look out the front window." 

Lorelai all but throws the phone into Luke's chest and peers out the window, just as Rory's Prius turns into the yard. "Ahhh! Luke! She's here!" 

Luke rarely got excited, but the man looked like he was going to burst, "I know! I heard!" 

Lorelai swings open the front door and stands on the porch, staring at her daughter, as she ran toward her, meeting her on the front lawn, "I'm so sorry!" Rory chokes out as she wraps her arms around Lorelai. 

"You're sorry? I'm sorry," Lorelai says through tears.

"I was so mixed up."

"I should have pulled you out of there."

"I was stupid," Rory admits.

"No, I was stupid," Lorelai replies, kissing Rory's head. 

"Well... I was more stupid."

Lorelai breaks from the hug, standing back a bit to look at her, "Oh boy, we need to get you back to Yale."

Luke was letting the girls have their moment, but he watched from the porch, his eyes welling up over the sight. He knew how much Lorelai missed Rory. He missed her, too. Rory spies him and rushes over, wrapping her arms around his torso tightly, "Oh, Luke! It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Rory," he says, wrapping his arms around her small frame. 

Lorelai looks up at the two of them, crying all over again. Soon, Luke would be more than just 'Luke' to Rory. He'd be her step-dad. Although, she was certain Rory already viewed him in that role long before the engagement.

"Oh my god, I missed out on so much. How are you? You are huge, by the way. How's my little sister?" Rory says, reaching out to rub Lorelai's belly. 

"Yes. Wonderful. That was rude. Great," Lorelai rattles off, a smirk on her face. "Oh, Paul Anka needs to get in on this moment!"

Rory stares at her in confusion, "Uh, excuse me?"

"Oh my god, you don't know about Paul Anka?! She doesn't know about Paul Anka," Lorelai says to Luke, amusement and shock on her face. "I got a dog."

"No! And he's... alive?" Rory asks carefully.

" _Yes,_ he's alive," Lorelai huffs. "Paul Anka!" she calls the dog.

Rory folds her arms over her chest, "And you remember to feed him?"

"Yeah..." she says, as if it's an obvious answer. "And that's exactly why I asked Luke to live with me," she adds. " _Paul Anka!_ "

"Well, where is he?"

"Huh. He's probably hiding out. He'll come around once he realizes you won't break his heart or steal his pigs ears," Lorelai explains as Luke brings Rory's luggage inside.

Rory walks into the house with a look of amazement, "Wow! Look at this place!"

"Yes! We did a little remodeling... don't worry, we did not touch your room. Everything was just as you left it. Except, I might have borrowed some stuff. A lot of stuff. Okay, I basically ransacked the place while you were gone."

Rory laughs, "I know where to find you. Now, show me everything!"


	17. Super Happy Awesome News

Lorelai was sitting on her bed, attempting to put her boots on. She allowed herself to struggle several times before moaning, "Rory!"

There was no answer, and Lorelai raised a brow, "Hello?"

"What?" Rory asks from the new master bathroom. 

"Make an occasional noise so I know you didn't pull an Elvis."

Rory emerges from the bathroom, "Sorry, I was just putting the final touches on my face."

Lorelai snorts, "You're an infant. All you need to do is hit yourself in the face with a giant powder puff."

"What do you need?"

Lorelai holds up a boot and pouts, "Help."

Rory smiles and shakes her head, kneeling down to put Lorelai's boots on her. "Jeez, what did you do without me home?"

"Usually, I'd just have Luke put my shoes on, and if he wasn't home, I'd cry and then put on slip-ons."

"Oh, yeah. Wow, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Luke _lives_ here now," she looks around the room, spying several of Luke's things looking incredibly normal in what used to be her mother's very feminine bedroom. 

Lorelai pushes herself up off the bed, "Yeah, it's pretty weird having a smelly boy live here. I happen to really like him, though."

Rory grins, "This room is great! I'm insanely jealous of your new closet," she says, going into the walk-in. 

"I know! Isn't it fabulous? Paul Anka likes taking naps in here," Lorelai says, rehanging a blouse.

"You ever hear that tape of him chewing out his band after a show? 'When I move, I slice like a hammer! The guys get shirts!'" Rory mocks.

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "That's the human Paul Anka."

"Well, I don't believe the canine version exists."

They exit the bedroom and head for the stairs, "He's just laying low until he knows he can trust you. He's a very fickle pooch, that one."

Rory shrugs, "The chicken's got to show his face, so I can prove myself."

The girls stop on the landing, noticing Paul Anka now sitting on the coffee table staring at them. He lowers his head as he stares at Rory, trying to decide if he should run or stay. 

"He has emerged. I'm assuming that's Paul Anka?" Rory says, staring back at the dog.

Lorelai nods, "Well it ain't Louis Prima."

Rory starts waving her arms around wildly, "Shoo! Shoo!"

"What are you doing?"

"He shouldn't be on the coffee table."

Lorelai scoffs, "Uh, that's his favorite spot. What are you going to do next, tell him he can't drink out of my water glass?"

"Sorry. How should I approach him?"

"Follow me."

Rory follows Lorelai down the rest of the stairs and she abruptly pauses before Paul Anka. "Okay, now go in the kitchen and put sugar on your toes."

"What?!"

Lorelai ushers her out, "And quickly! Because first impressions are crucial and you're blowing it big time."

Rory looks at her incredulously, "Sugar on my toes?"

"Yes, he loves sugar, so the first time you come close to him, if you've got sugar on your toes that he can lick and enjoy, you're in," Lorelai says, reaching over to pet Paul Anka.

Rory runs off to the kitchen, "He's going to lick it?"

"Wet your toes first!"

"Huh?"

Lorelai sighs, "Dry sugar on a dry toe isn't going to work!"

Soon, Rory comes back from the kitchen. "Okay, my toes are all sugared."

"Okay, good! Now do the hokey-pokey and turn yourself around."

Rory stares at her warily, "What?"

Lorelai laughs, "All you have to do is pet him and you're in!"

"You're evil."

"Yes, I am."

Paul Anka jumps off the coffee table and sniffs around Rory's foot before licking the sugar off her toes, "Oh, hi boy! Ah! That tickles!"

Lorelai smiles, "I guess you passed his inspection. What's on the agenda for today?"

"Follow up calls to Yale to make sure I'm all set up for spring semester, four hours of community service--I'm going to try to stretch it to five because I am tantalizingly close to being done. My engine light is on, so I gotta go to Gypsy's. Get the Eagle-Gazette a bunch of stuff I've written... I think that's it," Rory lists off.

"Will you even have time to hang out with _me?"_ Lorelai says with a pout.

Rory grabs her coat, "Yes, I will have some free time to spend with my mommy."

"Aw, yay! Did you hear that Coffee? Your big sister Rory wants to spend time with us."

"You are not seriously naming her Coffee are you?"

Lorelai frowns, "And why not?"

Rory rolls her eyes, "Because you aren't Gwyneth Paltrow, that's why not."

"Luke is going to be _so_ happy to have you home..." Lorelai mutters, as they walk out the front door.

/

"Okay, okay, okay! The moment I've been waiting forever for!" Lorelai pushes Rory through the door of Luke's, "Ladies and Gentlemen... Rory Gilmore!"

Several townies surround her, telling her they were so glad she was back and that she and Lorelai had made up. Luke walks over and pulls Rory out of the chaos, "Come on over, I saved the best table, just for you."

"Thanks, Luke."

"I wasn't being too loud this morning, was I? I tried to be quiet when I left..."

Lorelai giggles and he shoots her a warning glance. "If she didn't hear us last night, she definitely didn't hear you--"

"--Lorelai!"

"God, mom!" Rory cringes, "I do not want to think about what goes on directly above my head."

Lorelai rubs her belly, "Well, honey, I mean, how else do you think this happened...?"

"No, no, no! Please, I want to pretend the stork is real."

Luke shakes his head at Lorelai and turns to Rory, "What would you like for your celebratory welcome back breakfast?"

"Oh! You should make me one of those special omelets, you know, with all the bacon and sausage and cheese?" Rory asks happily.

Luke sighs, "Glad to know some things haven't changed. What about you, crazy lady?"

"I'll have the same," Lorelai says, "And make it snappy, otherwise this crazy lady might kill you."

He rolls his eyes, "Hold tight. It's coming right up."

Lorelai puckers her lips at him and he pecks a quick kiss to her lips before heading into the kitchen. Rory watches the scene play out in amazement. "Uh, okay. Since when has Luke become Mr. PDA?"

"Since he knocked me up and slapped a ring on my finger," Lorelai says nonchalantly. "Hey, so I got to talk to you about something..."

"Okay, shoot."

"Your dad called."

Rory puts down her coffee mug and stares at her in surprise. "Wow. It's been, like a year, hasn't it? When did he call?"

"The very worst possible time," Lorelai groans. 

"Yeah, he's got a knack for that."

Lorelai swirls her decaf around in her mug, "So anyways, Luke and I got in an argument about it, but we're good now. We had a really good talk about Christopher and how he's always going to be a part of my life."

"Do you know what he wants?"

She nods, "He just said he has good news, and he wants to meet me for lunch to talk. I'm seeing him on Thursday."

Rory looks toward the kitchen, "And Luke's good with it?"

"Yeah, Luke's good. He isn't _thrilled_ that I'm seeing him, but he understands. Hey--does he know about the baby or anything?" Lorelai asks with suspicion. 

"Uh, I don't think so. He called me on my birthday, but we only talked a couple minutes and your name never got brought up," Rory thinks back.

Lorelai leans back in her seat, running her hands over her belly, "Alright, great. Then he is in for quite the surprise... think he'll ask if I'm pregnant?" she smirks.

"Only if he doesn't think the poptarts have finally caught up with you," Rory says with a shake of her head. 

Lorelai sticks her tongue out at her daughter, "Mean!"

/

"Hey, hon? What are we going to do for Thanksgiving?" Lorelai asks Luke upon walking into the kitchen. 

He looks up from the sauce he was stirring, "Oh, yeah. That's coming up soon, huh? Not gonna be spending it at your parents' house?"

She stares at him in amusement, "Well, all things considering, I'm not sure there will be an invite this year. And even if there is, I know Rory isn't going to want to spend it over there."

"Yeah, I kind of figured."

"We could just have something here? You, me, Rory. What are Liz and TJ doing?" Lorelai asks.

Luke takes the pasta noodles off the stove to drain them, "Liz and TJ are on the last leg of their Renaissance Faire circuit in Maine."

Lorelai nods, "Ah. Glad to hear the Ren-Faire is alive and well. What about Jess? You should invite him over here."

Luke stares straight ahead in contemplation, "Yeah, I could give him a call."

"I know he's not a big family guy, but he's your nephew. I think he'd appreciate the invite," Lorelai says, filling Paul Anka's bowl with water. 

"And it'd be okay with Rory?"

She nods, "Oh, yeah, Rory would be totally fine with it. I guess, that is, if she's not spending Thanksgiving with you-know-who."

Luke stares at her blankly, "Who?"

"The guy your nephew fondly refers to as the 'blonde dick from Yale.'"

"Oh," Luke says, understanding who Lorelai meant. "You, uh, don't know?" he muses, taking a sip of his beer.

Lorelai folds her arms over her belly, "I don't know... what?"

Luke's face turns slightly red, "Well... she didn't tell you?" he asks in disbelief.

"No, Luke. I do not know what you are talking about," she says, a tad irritated. 

He pulls garlic bread out of the oven, staring at the tray. "I don't know if I should say anything..."

"Okay, Luke. I swear to god, just tell me what I don't know."

He sighs, "Rory broke up with Logan."

Lorelai's jaw drops, "Wait, wait, wait. She broke up with Logan? And she told _you_ and not me...?"

Luke shrugs, "It just sort of popped up. She told me she was going to be driving to New Haven to help Lane's band with their showcase, and I asked if she was going to meet Logan there, and it came out."

She stares at her fiancé in disbelief, "I can't believe she didn't tell me," she pauses, sticking her lip out in a pout, "She likes Daddy Luke better..."

He shakes his head with a small smile, "Nah, I'm sure it's just because I brought up his name. It seemed like she hadn't told anyone about it yet."

"Huh. I'll have to see if she brings it up. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thrilled to hear this very interesting piece of secret news," Lorelai says, grabbing plates out of the cupboard, "Logan's been nothing but trouble from the start."

Luke nods, "That's what I said! No one listens to me around here."

"Oh, I listen to you plenty big guy," she says with a smirk, smacking his behind as she went to set the table. 

"Hey, don't start something you can't finish."

"If Coffee wasn't demanding food right this second, I'd take you upstairs and have my way with you," Lorelai bluntly states, stuffing a piece of garlic bread in her mouth.

Luke puts some pasta on her plate, "Thank you, baby girl."

Lorelai's mouth hangs open, "Ugh! Already getting sick of me, burger boy?"

"Never," he says, pecking a kiss to her lips before he hands her the plate.

"Mhmmm I can taste the beer on you," she says, going back in for another kiss.

Luke smirks against her lips, finally pulling away, "Okay, that's enough for you."

Lorelai pouts, "No, no, come back! Just a little more... will you bring me a beer after I deliver her?"

"No."

"Coffee? A huge, extra large cup?"

"Maybe."

Lorelai makes a flippant motion with her hand, "Eh, what am I worried about? After I go through what I'll go through, you'll give me anything I want for the rest of our lives."

/

On Thursday afternoon, Lorelai pulls the Jeep up to the curb across from the coffee shop Christopher gave her directions to. She checks for Christopher's motorcycle, his typical choice of transportation when he was alone. Lorelai twists her arm back to press against a spot on her lower back. She had been feeling achey, dull pain off and on all morning, but chalked it up to regular pregnancy aches. Minutes later, the roar of a motorcycle pulls up behind her, and she spies Chris in her review mirror. 

He takes his helmet off, and kills the engine. Lorelai takes a deep breathe and opens the door of the Jeep, swinging her legs out of the vehicle, her back facing Chris.

"Lor! Hey," he says and she turns around, giving him a small, yet awkward wave. His eyes slowly drift downward, stopping at her perfectly round midsection, that was obvious in the tan maternity coat that tied above her belly. His smile turns to a look of total shock and confusion and Lorelai slowly walks over to him. 

"Hey, Chris."

He tries to form words, but nothing comes out. "Uh, hey... hi! Um, I know this is something you never ask a woman, but I feel like in this situation it is totally justified. Are you...?" Chris gestures awkwardly to his stomach and Lorelai flashes him a hurt look, "What? No..."

Chris looks like he's going to pass out and she smirks, playfully punching him in the shoulder, "Yes, you doof. I'm pregnant."

He starts laughing and she shakes her head. "Thank god, 'cause I was really about to feel like a jackass."

"Yeah, it's a little hard to pass off as just a big lunch anymore."

Christopher is still trying to process the news, staring off at the coffee shop. "Wow... I mean, congratulations. This is great--I'm shocked, not gonna lie, but I'm happy for you."

They start off for the shop, as Lorelai runs her hands over her stomach, "Thanks. Yeah, Luke and I are pretty excited. It was a shock to us too, but, yeah... I'm really happy."

He notices her cringe and bring her hand to her lower back. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Let's sit down?" she says a little anxiously, and Chris pulls a chair out for her, "Thanks."

He sits across from her, pulling his jacket off. "You look great, by the way. I mean, you always look great--I don't know how you do it."

"Yeah, well, I got the girls from the Wash & Brush Up company from the Wizard of Oz working for me now," she says with a smirk.

Chris smiles, "As you should," he pauses, "How's Rory?"

Lorelai assumes from his tone that he doesn't know about their daughter's short hiatus from school. "Oh, she's good. She's, um, you know. Great. Very busy," Lorelai pauses, looking up at him, "She took some time off from Yale."

He stares at her in disbelief, "And the apocalypse is this week? Next week?"

"She's back there and she's thriving. She'll be running the world one day," Lorelai assures him. The barista comes over and asks if they want anything, and Chris orders a vanilla latte, while Lorelai begrudgingly asks for decaf. "I never thought I'd live to see the day Lorelai Gilmore orders decaf," Chris chuckles. 

She nods, "You and the rest of the world," Lorelai pauses, folding her hands on the table, "So... what's going on?"

Christopher smirks, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Lorelai shoots him an annoyed look, "Chris."

"What?! This is the funniest thing I've got to do in years. Years! All right? Let me, let me savor it."

She smiles, but rolls her eyes, "Come on! Tell me."

The barista brings them their drinks and Chris smugly stares into his latte before looking up at her, "My grandfather died."

Lorelai stares at him, puzzled. "Uh, and that's fun how?"

Chris shakes his head, "Well, that's not the fun part. The old man was ninety-eight, long life, great life. His last words were an inappropriate pass at the nurse tending to him. Pretty good one, too. I made a mental note of it."

She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, "So, your grandfather died."

He eyes her suspiciously, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yep. I'm good. Alright, where were we? Oh, yes, explaining to me why your grandfather dying is such a win."

"The old guy was actually pretty cool, and for some reason he always liked me. And he was the Hayden with the purse strings. Long story short, I'm rich," Chris says, throwing his arms out exuberantly.

"You're rich!?" Lorelai says in disbelief.

Chris nods, "Ridiculously. I mean, I'm not Bill Gates by a long shot, but I've got money! Isn't that crazy?!"

"No, it's good, Chris. Really good."

He smiles brightly, "And I want to share it. I've set Gigi up with funds for private nursery school and prep school and college and grad school and post-grad school and Ph.D. school and a wedding and a divorce if she wants it, and another wedding or she can buy a bunch of cats and a lifetime supply of Twizzlers and popcorn if that's her choice. But, she's all set, and now I want to take care of you. You and Rory."

Lorelai's eyes widen. "Oh. Oh, Chris... I don't know what to say."

"Say yes! What do you want? A car? How about a Bentley? They're pretty sweet. Or a new house? Or a tract of land to build a new house? I can do that. I can buy you a tract."

She's still trying to process the news, all the while focusing on the overwhelming dizziness that has come on. "Uh, Luke and I just fixed up my house, so I'm all good on tracts of land."

He shakes his head, persisting. "Come on. Let me give you something. A castle in Ireland? A Civil War cannon. A brewery. Yeah! Buy a brewery! That would be cool! You could brew your own beer!"

Lorelai gives him a pained smile, placing both palms on the table to try to steady herself. "You know, I had a brewery for a while, but I couldn't stand the smell of hops."

"Pay off something. Your house. Outstanding bills. Your bookie. Something. Pay off Yale. Pay off your back taxes--"

"-- _Chris,"_ she breathes out shakily. "I'm not feeling great."

Her hands come to the front of her stomach, bracing from the pain that was now radiating through her stomach. "Chris--you need to bring me to the hospital."

He all but jumps out of his seat, "Oh my god--do you need an ambulance? Should I call--"

"-- _No,_ just drive me there. My doctor's only a few minutes from here."

Chris helps her into her coat, "I--I just have my motorcycle!"

"You can drive my Jeep! God, please, can we just go?" she says through tears.

He nods, "Yes, yep. We're going. We're going right now," he says quickly, throwing a twenty on the table before rushing her out of the shop. "It's gonna be okay, Lor."

After helping her into the Jeep, he runs around to the driver's side and speeds off toward the Hartford Hospital. Lorelai immediately calls Luke, but it goes right to his voice mail. No answer at the house. She tries the dinner, but Caesar picks up and says Luke left to make some deliveries.

The frustration of not being able to reach Luke only adds to her worry and hopelessness. Was something wrong with the baby? She thought she did everything right. Maybe she should have taken more time off from the inn, like Dr. Price suggested. She leans back against the seat, shutting her eyes as the tears steadily run down her cheeks. The only person she wanted with her more than anything in the world was Luke, and she had no idea where he was.


	18. Pass the Turkey, Start the Fighting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave you on a cliff-hanger for so long! I had good intentions of updating sooner, but I got surprisingly busy over the holidays. I decided to make this chapter a little longer than usual, as a holiday 'thank-you' to everyone who has been so kind in the comments. You all have been incredibly supportive and it means so much to me as I continue to create this story.  
> Thank you, again. xx

Everything was a blur for Lorelai once they arrived at the hospital. She was admitted into an exam room immediately, and hooked up to several monitors. Nurses were asking her question after question, but all she could think about was the fact that Luke wasn't there.

Christopher paced the hallway, trying to get a hold of Luke. He left multiple messages, before finally getting Rory. "Dad?"

"Hey, kiddo. I just brought your mom to the hospital," Chris says, trying to sound calmer than he was. "I don't know anything yet--she just said she wasn't feeling well and started having some pain, but, she's in good hands now."

Rory was already out the door, hopping into her Prius. "Oh my god! Okay, I'm driving over right now."

"I can't get a hold of Luke, so if he calls you, tell him what's going on. I left about five messages," Chris says. 

She nods, buckling her seat belt and tearing out of the apartment complex parking lot. "Okay," she pauses, collecting herself. "Thank you, Dad."

"Of course. See you in a bit."

At the same moment Christopher was on the phone with Rory, Luke's cell phone finally got within service range again. His brows knit in confusion when he notices the several missed calls pop up. His heart beats a little faster when he notices a couple of them were Lorelai. When he listens to Christopher's messages, his heart drops to his stomach. All he needed to hear was _'Lorelai'_ and _'hospital'_ and he was off at full speed to Hartford. 

He makes it there in record time, rushing through the emergency entrance doors, and is barely able to form coherent sentences when he reaches the nurses station. They give him Lorelai's room number and he rushes down the hallway to see Christopher in the waiting area. 

"Luke! Thank god--I don't know what happened... I got her here as fast as I could," he pants, clearly shook up about the whole situation. Luke mutters a quick 'thank you' before pushing open the door to the exam room. 

Lorelai was propped up against the pillows, one arm slung over her belly, while the other was being poked with an IV by a nurse. As soon as Lorelai met his gaze, her eyes well up. "Luke..."

He makes his way over to her, stroking a hand through her hair, before pressing a kiss against her forehead, letting it linger. She runs her free hand over his bicep, "I'm okay, Luke. The baby's okay too. I just got dehydrated."

She feels him breathe a sigh of relief, the tension he was carrying in his body releasing. He kisses her lips and then leans back so he can look at her. Lorelai's blue eyes, though tired, were still incredibly captivating. She was a little pale, but her smile assured him that everything was going to be okay. He wipes at the tears that had collected on his cheeks unbeknownst to him. "So, she's good? She's okay?"

Lorelai nods, "Yeah, she's still happy and healthy in here."

Dr. Price enters the room, smiling when she sees Luke. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here, Luke. Did Lorelai fill you in?"

"She did," he says, still holding Lorelai's hand, "Things are okay, yeah?"

"Yes. Everything is going to be just fine. But, we do need to talk about some things," Dr. Price says, sitting down on a stool opposite Luke.

Lorelai sighs, "Are we talking bed rest?"

Dr. Price pats her hand, "Not bed rest, per se. I do, however, want you to start taking it easy. Work from home if you can. Absolutely no unnecessary exertion." 

She nods, looking down at the IV in her arm, "And more water."

"Yes. Now, I know it's tough to keep drinking water, especially in these last few weeks. But, dehydration can trigger Braxton Hicks contractions, which is what happened today. If you wouldn't have come in, your dehydration could have gotten much worse and put you in pre-term labor," Dr. Price explains, noticing worry shadow both Lorelai and Luke's faces. "I'm very confident we have everything under control. The contractions stopped and we have fluids back in your system. The baby's heartbeat is normal, and she's not in stress. If everything checks out, you can go home tonight."

Lorelai breathes a sigh of relief, running her hand over her belly. "Okay. Thank you, Dr. Julie."

Luke nods, "Thank you."

"Of course. The minute they told me it was Lorelai, I dropped everything. As you can see, I was only a couple minutes into my yoga class," she laughs, gesturing to the workout leggings she was still wearing. 

"Ah, you didn't even get to say namaste, did you?" Lorelai says sadly.

Dr. Price laughs, "And that is exactly why you're my favorite."

Lorelai grins, "The feeling is mutual," she turns her head to look at Luke, "Other than this guy, of course."

There's a knock at the door and Rory pokes her head through. Lorelai's face lights up when she notices her daughter. "Oh, honey! Come here."

Rory rushes over, tears glistening in her eyes as she stops a few feet from Lorelai's bed. "Mom... is everything okay?"

"We're just fine," she says, noticing the tears in Rory's eyes. "I promise, Sweets."

Luke recognizes that the two of them could use a minute alone, and he has something he needs to take care of too. "Hey, Lorelai? I'm going to step out for a second. Do you need anything?"

She shakes her head, smiling at him and Rory, "Nope. I got everything I need now."

He smiles and exits the room, Dr. Price trailing behind him. "Thank you. Really, thank you for taking care of her," Luke says to the petite red head. 

"Just doing my job. She's sure special, that one."

Luke nods, putting his hands in his pockets, "That she is."

Dr. Price grabs his arm, "Take good care of her, Luke. I know I don't need to tell you that. But, you know just as much as I do, how stubborn she can be. I don't think we have anything to worry about, but, she needs to stay exceptionally well over the next couple weeks," she tells him. "I want a healthy delivery just as much as you two do."

Luke feels a little overwhelmed by the kindness of the doctor. "I will. Thank you, again. Lorelai's lucky to have you--we're lucky to have you."

She pats his shoulder before turning to go to her office, "I'll check back before she gets released, just to make sure everything is still looking good."

"Thanks," he nods in her direction, before turning down the hall to find Christopher. He finds him sitting in the waiting area, staring at a TV, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. When he notices Luke, he stands immediately, "Hey--how, how is she?"

"She's gonna be fine. Doctor thinks she got dehydrated, and that's why she started having Braxton Hicks," Luke tells him. 

A wave of relief washes over Chris' face, "And the baby?"

"Doing great." 

The two men stand in awkward silence before Luke finally works up the nerve to say what he needed to say. "Listen, Chris. I wanted to thank you for bringing Lorelai here. I really appreciate it. We both do."

He nods, "I was just doing what anyone would have done, really. I'm just glad she's alright."

Luke gives him a friendly nod before turning to go back to Lorelai, but Chris stops him. "Luke, wait."

He pauses, mulling over the several scenarios that could come out of Chris' mouth right now. Luke finally turns around, shooting him an expectant look.

"I know we haven't exactly... well, been on great terms," he starts, and Luke snorts. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to try to get in the way of you and Lor-- _Lorelai._ I promise you, it's not ever going to happen again."

Luke stares at him skeptically, thinking about all the times Christopher has messed with Lorelai and Rory's emotions. Why should it be any different now?

Chris must read it on his expression, because he sighs, "I know, I know. It's a little hard to believe. But, after today... seeing how happy she is? How happy she is with _you,_ Luke. She and I were never supposed to be together forever, as much as it hurts to admit it," he pauses, staring down at his shoes, "She's meant to be with you." Chris waits for some kind of a response, but Luke gives him nothing. "Alright, so there it is. You can choose to believe me or not, but I had to say it. I'm really sorry, Luke."

He grabs his leather jacket, slipping it over his shoulders, before starting to walk away. "Hey," Luke says, forcing him to stop, "Thanks." He reaches a hand out, and Chris takes it, shaking it firmly.

"I meant every word. Give my best to Lorelai," he says, waving as he leaves. 

"Will do."

/

"Hey, so how _did_ your lunch with dad go?" Rory says, now laying next to Lorelai in her hospital bed. 

"Well, this happened, so all I got out of it was a crappy cup of decaf coffee," she says with a frown.

"So what did he want to talk to you about? Did you even get to that part?"

Lorelai nods, "Yes. For starters, his grandfather died."

Rory looks at her in confusion, "Oh?"

"Apparently it was one of those un-sad deaths. Like Buddy Hackett."

"No one was sad about Buddy Hackett?"

Lorelai shrugs, "No one I saw on the news. Anyway, he left Chris money. A _lot_ of money. And now he's offering to shower us with it. You want a Bentley?"

Rory looks at her in disbelief, "Uh, I think I'm good... Dad's got money?!"

"Yeah, I know. I had the same reaction."

"Well, why doesn't he just keep it for himself?"

Lorelai shifts in the bed to get a little more comfortable, "He is--he has. I mean, he already got Gigi set up with everything she's going to need for the rest of her life, so now he wants to take care of you--us, I guess, but I don't want it."

"I don't want it either," Rory echoes her.

Lorelai sighs, "Are you sure there's nothing you want? A brewery, a Faberge egg, or let's see, what else did he mention? Um, paying for Yale through a Ph.D., uh, vacations, probably a cannon from the Civil War, fully functioning, so it's not just show. It seemed like the sky was the limit, although he didn't mention the Hoover Dam, so maybe there is a cap of some sort."

Rory smiles, knowing her mother was feeling better based on the ramble alone. She tucks a hand behind her head, staring up at the ceiling tiles, "Actually, I think maybe there is something I'd want."

"Really? Okay, what?!"

She takes a deep breath, before turning her head towards Lorelai, "I think I want him to pay for Yale."

Lorelai raises her brows in surprise, "Seriously?"

"Unless it's too much...?"

"No! God, I think it was the cheapest thing of all the things he mentioned," she says, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach where the baby was kicking.

Rory nods, "It's just that there would be residual benefits. It would get me out from under Grandma and Grandpa's thumb, which sounds really good to me right now."

Lorelai snorts, "Well, I can't say I don't relate."

"I don't want them to be holding anything over my head. I don't want to owe them anything. There's too much pressure. Too much expected. There are too many strings with these people," Rory huffs.

"Whoa! Okay. I'm getting very uncomfortable with the _Freaky Friday_ moment we've got going on here, 'cause it means I have to go to Yale, you have to run the inn, and... Oh! Ha-ha-ha! You'd have to give birth! Ooo, but no, I don't even like thinking about what that would mean for Luke."

"This idea is feeling better by the second."

Lorelai sighs, "Okay, listen. You do understand, you'd basically be cutting Mom and Dad off."

Rory shakes her head, "You don't know what it was like to be living there."

"Um, hello, oppressed one, class of eighty-five!" Lorelai says dramatically, pointing to herself. 

"They had their Reverend come over to talk me out of having sex. They never did that to you," Rory challenges.

Lorelai laughs, "Five times they did that to me! The last time they triple-teamed me with a priest, a rabbi and a Mormon missionary. I made so many jokes that night, I should have had a microphone and a brick wall behind me."

"Look. I know it's a slippery slope. Dad is dad, but I'm pretty sure I want to do this," Rory reiterates.

Lorelai smiles, "Great. If that's what you want, then we'll call him. He'll be very happy."

"Not as happy as me."

"Oh, hey, so Thanksgiving is next week, and Luke and I were kind of talking about just doing something super small at home. Just you, me, him and Jess. If that's okay with you...?" Lorelai presses, hoping she'll finally get some information out of her daughter.

Rory nods quickly, "Oh. Yeah, that sounds great."

"Unless you have somewhere else to be for Thanksgiving...?" Lorelai baits.

Her daughter sighs, "Did Luke tell you?"

"Yeah, he did. Why didn't you tell me?! Break-ups are one of the biggest mother-daughter things you are contractually obligated to tell Mommy about!"

"It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you, it's just that no one knows about it. Well, except for Luke, but that was an accident. It's not even really a break-up, it's more of just a break," Rory explains.

Lorelai shakes her head, "Ah-ah-ah. Remember when Ross and Rachel were 'on a break?' What does that even mean?"

Rory shrugs, "It means exactly what it sounds like. Two people that used to date, that are now simply taking a break from each other. To be two separate, single people for a change."

"Hmm. Well, knowing Logan, he probably won't stay a separate, single person. Just a fair warning."

"Logan wouldn't do that," Rory says adamantly, though the hint of doubt in her tone was not missed by Lorelai. She grabs her daughter's hand giving it a squeeze, "Just, be careful, hon."

/

"Luke, Dr. Julie didn't say bed rest, she said to take it _easy_ ," Lorelai protests, as Luke gets her another pillow for her back. He'd barely even let her walk to the bathroom on her own since they got home from the hospital earlier that night, let alone anything else.

"Well, this is me making sure you actually _do_ take it easy," Luke says, handing her the remote for the TV. "Drink up," he says, handing her a huge water bottle.

Lorelai pouts, but drinks some water anyway, "I feel so stupid. How did I let this happen?" she says quietly. 

Luke brushes his hand through her hair to comfort her, "It was an accident, Lorelai. And you heard Dr. Price, they caught it before it got any worse. Scared the hell out of me, though."

"I'm sorry. I bet you were terrified to get all those calls," she says, patting his arm.

He sighs, "Yeah. It was the worst feeling ever. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you. Either of you..." He rubs her belly with his palm, marveling at the strong kicks their daughter was delivering.

Lorelai rubs her belly affectionately, "Well, lucky for you, Butch. We're not going anywhere."

Luke leans down to presses a kiss to her lips, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she murmurs, letting herself enjoy the sensation. 

He sits down next to her on the couch, "Hey, you never told me about what Christopher wanted to talk to you about?"

Lorelai nods, "Oh, yeah. Well, his grandfather died, and left him a ton of money. So, he offered to buy us all these extravagant gifts, which, like an idiot I turned down. However, I said I couldn't speak for Rory, and when I told her about it, she decided she would like him to pay for Yale."

Luke slowly nods, thinking about what Lorelai shared. "You know, I think that's a great idea."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's her father. He should have been chipping in a long time ago," Luke says tapping his fingers against the armrest of the couch, "I had a pretty interesting talk with him at the hospital."

Lorelai looks at him nervously, "Please tell me it didn't end in fisticuffs?"

He snorts, "No. He, uh... he actually apologized for trying to get in our way."

Lorelai's eyes widen, "Really?"

"He did. He said he sees how happy you are, and that you and him were never meant to be for the long haul. But, you and I on the other hand, are meant to be together."

"What? He did not!"

Luke smiles, "I'm serious."

She sighs in amazement, leaning back deeper into the pillows, "Wow. That's great, honestly. I'm glad he's finally moving on. Now to just get my mother on the same page."

"Do you think she bought that plane?" 

Lorelai snorts, "God, I hope not. I mean, granted it's a time share, but still." She's quiet for a moment, watching Paul Anka roll his favorite ball across the floor with his nose, "She really wants to be a part of the baby's life."

Luke decides to stay quiet, and let her finish vocalizing her thoughts. He knew the exceptionally strained relationship between Lorelai and the Gilmore's right now was hard on her. He rubs her shoulder, to let her know he's listening. 

"I've always wanted to have a better relationship with her. But, after everything she's pulled, I'm having a very hard time trusting her. I will never understand why it's so hard for her and my dad to just _be_ grandparents. _Normal_ grandparents, who just let the kids be kids, while loading them up with sugar before they send them home."

"Ever think they might be compensating?" Luke thinks out loud.

Lorelai knits her brows, "For _what?"_

"You know how they always try to do big, outrageous things for you and Rory? Maybe they think all that will win you back. But, what you really want is so much simpler than that. You don't need to be won over. You just want them to be mom and dad, or grandma and grandpa."

She gives what Luke was saying some thought. It was true that her parents were over-the-top when it came to, well anything. All this time Lorelai thought they did it to rub her face in what she left behind. What she could have had, if she wouldn't have ran away from it all. Maybe Luke had a point about them trying to win her affection. 

"So, what about the constant judgement? Thinking and doing the opposite of me, no matter what it is? I mean, my mother actually told me to take my time and think about if I really want to marry you, but twenty-one years ago, she and my dad were ready for a shotgun wedding without even considering if I wanted to be with Chris," Lorelai huffs, "That just proves it doesn't matter what they really think--they'll always take the opposite side."

Luke shakes his head, "I don't know... maybe it's their defense mechanism?"

Lorelai snorts, "What are you? The Gilmore psychologist?"

He rolls his eyes, "No. But, I have been the outsider looking in on this situation for several years now. I don't think they're bad people. I think they love you, and ultimately want what's best for you in their minds, even though it's usually opposite of what you actually want."

She stares straight ahead, a little irritated by Luke telling her what she doesn't want to hear. She knows he's right. But in this moment, she wants Luke to take her side. "I thought you were on mine and Rory's side?"

"I _am_ on your side, Lorelai. I'm just trying to be realistic. You have to admit it--you know they love you. And I think they are trying... just, in a very Emily and Richard-way."

Lorelai frowns, "I don't want to have this conversation right now, Luke."

He sighs, "Okay, fine. All I'm saying is... you don't know how lucky you are to still have your parents here." He gets up from the couch and walks into the kitchen, and Lorelai watches him go, immediate guilt sweeping over her.

She knew it had been hard for him, especially as the holidays crept closer. Instead of leaving him to sort his feelings out on his own, Lorelai slowly pushes herself up from the couch, and waddles into the kitchen, where he was leaning against the island. 

"Hey," she says softly, coming up next to him, rubbing his shoulder, "Talk to me."

"You're not supposed to be up," he says, still staring straight ahead.

Lorelai runs her hand along his back, "I'm fine. Tell me what's going on, Luke?" 

He finally turns toward her and sighs, "It's just tough, you know? November 30th is coming up fast."

She nods, touching is hand, "Yeah, I know it is," she pauses, "Are you mad at me?"

Luke shoots her a confused look, "No. Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I don't appreciate my parents, you know, being around still. Does that make you mad?" she asks genuinely.

He's quiet for a while before shrugging, "Not mad, but, I don't know... maybe jealous?" Lorelai watches him intently, and he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close, "They would have _loved_ you, Lorelai."

The solemn look on her face turns to a small smile, "Yeah? They would've?"

He nods, "Oh, yeah. My dad would have kept on asking how the hell I got you to say 'yes,'" he smirks, shaking his head, "God, they would have been so excited to be grandparents again."

Sensing that Luke just needs her to be there for him, she wraps her arm around his neck, stroking his hair at the nape of his neck. He's trying to keep it together, but Lorelai presses her forehead against his, "It's okay."

She wipes his tears away with her thumb, and he presses a kiss to her forehead, "I'm sorry."

"Luke, you don't ever have to be sorry for showing your emotions, especially not with me."

He nods, "Yeah, I know."

Lorelai softly kisses him, and gazes into his blue eyes, "I'm going to try really hard, Luke. Everything you said was true. I know, I can be so stubborn sometimes, and I hate it. But, you're right. I am lucky to have two parents who love me and my daughter so much, that they do ridiculously flashy, and often times completely unnecessary things, just because they think it's best for us," she rambles, sighing. "I'll try. I promise I will."

He smiles, running his hands gently along the sides of her belly, "Okay. I just want everyone on good terms when she gets here, you know?"

Lorelai nods, "I know," she pauses, "Hey, Luke? Maybe sometime soon, you can tell me some stories about them."

Luke looks at her earnestly, a smile eventually sweeping his face, "Sure."

She smiles, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips. "I'd love to hear about all the trouble little Luke got himself into."

He rolls his eyes, "You'd have to ask Liz for those stories. Though, she tends to embellish most of them."

"Any good sister would," Lorelai says with a grin, "Feeling better?"

Luke nods, "Yeah. Thanks for just, hearing me out."

Lorelai rubs his cheek with her thumb, "Anytime, hon."

/

Lorelai was watching reruns of _Friends_ when her phone rang. Luke had forced her to stay home for the week, so she parked herself in front of the TV with her laptop, in an attempt to get some work done. She answers the phone on the second ring, "Hello?"

"Lorelai, this is your mother."

She typically would be less than thrilled to get a phone call from her mother, but after her conversation with Luke, she tries a new approach. "Hi, mom. How are you?"

It's quiet on the other end, before she speaks, "I'm fine. Why did you answer your phone so quickly? Usually you won't answer until the eighth or ninth ring."

"I have the phone next to me. I've been working from home for the last couple days," she explains.

"Why? Are you sick?" Emily asks quickly.

"No, I'm fine now. I just had a little dehydration scare last week, so I'm supposed to be taking it really easy now," Lorelai tells her. 

Emily would be lying if she wasn't a little upset that Lorelai hadn't called and told her about this when it happened. "Oh. Well, I'm glad to hear everything is alright. I'm calling because Rory left several articles of clothing here. The maid was laundering them when she... unexpectedly left. I'm assuming she wants them back."

"Yeah, I'm sure she does. Uh, well, I'll make sure she gets them at some point," Lorelai says, pressing 'send' on her email.

Emily clears her throat, "What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Will we be seeing you?"

Lorelai sets her laptop aside, running her hand over her belly, as she felt her daughter start to wiggle around, "Well, we kind of planned on a super quiet Thanksgiving at home this year. You know, because my doctor told me to lay low until the baby gets here. So, we just thought that would probably be best," she explains nervously.

"Alright, fine. Enjoy your quiet Thanksgiving then," Emily says, and Lorelai could hear she was clearly upset from her tone. "I guess we'll see you when we see you."

Before she knows it, Lorelai says something she would never have believed she'd say. "Mom? Maybe you and Dad want to come over here and join us?"

The silence was so deafening, Lorelai thought she lost the connection until Emily finally speaks. "It's Tuesday, Lorelai. Your father and I had already made plans."

"I know it's last minute, but, the offer still stands. If you and Dad want to come over, we'd love to have you. We'll eat around one. And because I'm a million years pregnant, it's going to be super casual. You don't need to break your plans or decide right now, but just let me know before one o'clock on Thursday, okay?"

Emily sits in total shock. Lorelai had made every weak attempt for as long as she could remember to get out of any holiday, any Friday night dinner, and now she was actually inviting them over. But, she had made a promise to herself, that she would try to have a better relationship with her daughter. "We'll be there," she says quickly. 

Lorelai wasn't really expecting her to say yes to the invite, but it was too late to take it back now. "Okay! Great!" Lorelai blurts out.

"We'll see you on Thursday. Goodbye, Lorelai."

"Bye, mom."

She clicks off the phone, dropping it on the couch. Oh, god, what had she done? Rory was still not on speaking terms with either of them, and now she'd have to break it to her daughter that they would all be together like a big, happy, family in a mere two days. Paul Anka walks over and puts his head on her leg with a big sigh.

"Me too, buddy," she says, scratching the canine's furry head. 

/

"I can't believe you did this!" Rory says, for seemingly the hundredth time. "Why would you invite them over?! After years of using every excuse in the book to get out of seeing them, _now_ you decide we're all going to be the Brady Bunch?!"

Lorelai sighs, "I already told you--I wasn't thinking straight. In that moment, I was only thinking about the conversation Luke and I had about me trying a little harder to appreciate your grandparents, and your grandma sounded really hurt that we weren't coming over, so my crazy emotional hormones took over and I invited them."

Rory taps her pen against the paper she was adding corrections to, "I get that, but I still don't understand why you chose now to start trying harder."

"Well, I did," Lorelai huffs into the phone, "At least you'll be able to get back into their good graces before dropping the bomb on them that Chris is going to be paying for Yale."

"Gee. Thanks for reminding me," she grumbles. "I was hoping they'd just figure it out when Yale sends their check back to them."

Lorelai uses her shoulder to keep the phone pressed to her ear while she walks upstairs with a basket of freshly washed baby clothes. "Kid, I don't know what to tell you. I screwed up and invited them over without thinking about the fight. I never thought my mother would actually agree to it in the first place."

Rory sighs, "Well, she did. And I guess I'll just have to put on a smile and deal with it."

Lorelai sets the laundry basket on the changing table, and sits down in the rocking chair, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I know you can't help those wild hormones," Rory says with a small smile.

Lorelai runs her hand over her belly, feeling the baby push against her hand, "Coffee can't wait for her big sister to come back home and read to her again. You do it better than Luke--don't tell him," she says, smiling at the growing collection of books in the nursery; the majority of them from Rory.

"Hey, what can I say? I know my Seuss," Rory says, turning her head as she hears Paris and Doyle start to argue about something from the other room, "Okay, mom, I need to go before World War three breaks out in the living room. I'll be home sometime tomorrow."

"Okay, hon. And I am sorry. Really sorry. You know I didn't do it on purpose."

Rory stares out her bedroom window, "Yeah, I know you didn't. Hey, maybe it'll be okay and I'll be able to smooth things over with grandma, especially."

Lorelai smirks, "Good luck with that."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you too, first born."

Lorelai clicks off the phone and pushes herself up from the rocking chair. Luke would be protesting that she shouldn't be doing laundry, but, realistically their daughter could make her appearance within a few weeks, and she just wanted to be ready. She picks up a pale pink sleeper and runs her hand over the soft material. Pretty soon, she'd be holding her baby in her arms. The baby who wasn't even close to being planned, but as Lorelai basked in the warmth of the nursery, she couldn't imagine her life being any different than it was right now.

All she had to do now was get through the holiday, try to keep the peace, and hope that any and all judgement from the elder Gilmore's be kept to a minimum for her own sanity.

/

"Jess, please tell me you're putting more marshmallows on the sweet potatoes than that?"

The young man sighs, staring at the youngest Gilmore. "Would you go back to your article already!?"

Rory folds her arms across her chest and leans against the island with a smirk, "Not until you put more on."

Jess sighs, and tosses a handful of marshmallows on top of the dish. "There! You happy?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you," she says, sitting down next to Lorelai who was scribbling in a notebook. "Okay, Luke. So, if you absolutely _refuse_ to name her Coffee, what about my almost name for Rory... Susanna!?"

Luke shakes his head, "You already named your dog after a musical icon. We aren't having two of them in this house."

"Oh my god, you are impossible!" she says dramatically, continuing to flip through the baby book. Rory stops typing for a moment, looking up from her laptop. "Okay, guys. For the past month, I have had to listen to your insanity, so, I feel like I've earned throwing out a suggestion of my own."

Lorelai looks up from the book and Luke shuts the oven after checking on the turkey. "Yeah, I'd say you've earned it," Luke says with a smirk. 

"Okay, okay! I wanna hear it," Lorelai chirps excitedly. 

"Alright. So, I've been writing this article about controversial books read in high schools, and one of them is _To Kill A Mockingbird,_ " Rory explains, "I forgot that one of the main characters has one of the coolest, yet cutest names in literary history."

Jess glances up from the carrots he was chopping, "Scout?" 

"Yes!" Rory says, looking between her mother and Luke. "It's unique, and totally goes along with mom's bizarre celebrity baby naming dreams, because Bruce Willis and Demi Moore have a daughter named Scout, so I know it suffices."

Lorelai looks from her daughter to Luke, a smile slowly appearing on her face. "I love it."

Luke nods, mostly because he was in disbelief that he was actually agreeing with Lorelai on a name for their daughter. "Yeah... I love it too."

She stares at Luke with equal disbelief, assuming he'd veto Rory's suggestion right away. "Wait--you love it? Are you being serious?"

"I think it's perfect."

Lorelai leans back her chair, running her hands over her belly, "Oh my god. Oh my god--did we just name our baby?"

Luke walks over to her with a grin on his face, "I think Rory named our baby, but yeah... we did."

"What do you think baby girl? Are you a Scout Danes?" She feels the baby nudge against her palm and looks up at Luke, "I think she approves."

Luke places a hand on her stomach, rubbing it with his thumb, "Good." He presses a kiss against Lorelai's lips and she giggles, forcing Jess and Rory to look at each other awkwardly. Feeling like they shouldn't be in the kitchen anymore, Jess grabs a couple beers out of the fridge and nods toward the back door, to let them have their moment. 

"Jeez Doogie, they're going to put your picture in all the history books for finally ending the Great Name War of 2005," Jess jokes, popping the cap off a beer and handing it to Rory. 

She laughs, "Thanks. I really didn't expect them to fall all over it. I just thought it was cute and threw it out there. Guess it worked."

"She'll be thanking you as soon as she finds out she was almost named 'Coffee,'" Jess says, sipping his beer. "So, how are you?"

Rory sits on the patio couch, tucking her feet under herself. "I'm a lot better than I was the last time I saw you."

Jess plops down next to her, "Yeah, I can tell."

"I'm back at Yale."

He turns to look at her, a small smile on his face, "Good."

She nods, "Yeah... it's good. I'm officially starting classes once the new semester starts, but I've been on campus getting some things lined up, and I have a little writing job for the Stamford Eagle Gazette," Rory pauses, "And it's all thanks to you."

Jess knits his brows, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you remember the night that you came over to my grandparents' house to tell me about your book, and then Logan showed up unexpectedly and you asked me what I was doing with my life? It made me start thinking about things."

He stares down at the beer bottle in his hands, "Really?"

"My mom basically said the exact same thing as you did, but it didn't have the same effect. I guess I just needed someone I really trust that wasn't my mom, or Luke, or Paris to put things into perspective for me. So... thank you," she says genuinely, giving his hand a squeeze.

Rory could tell Jess was blushing slightly, but he tried to hide it. "I was just doing what any friend would do."

"Logan and I broke up," she blurts out, surprising herself for saying it. It wasn't even really a break-up after all. Jess stares at her, wide-eyed. "You did?"

Rory's quiet before finally answering him, "Yeah. We did."

Jess doesn't say anything, he simply nods and looks straight ahead, but Rory didn't miss the small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Before anything else can be said, Lorelai bursts through the back door, looking like she was going to explode. "Rory! Rory! Oh my god! You _have_ to see this," she says, grabbing her daughter's arm. "Jess, you too. Grab the video camera."

"You're acting weirder than normal. What is going on?" Rory asks her in confusion. Lorelai shushes her before they reach the kitchen and she points toward the living room, holding a finger to her lips. Rory knits her brows, but peeks around the corner of the kitchen and practically hits the floor when she sees what has Lorelai so riled up. There stood her grandparents, both wearing _jeans_. Rory quickly ducks back into the kitchen, "And the apocalypse has officially begun."

" _Right?!_ " Lorelai squeaks, "I didn't even know they owned jeans! I mean, I have been alive for thirty-seven years, and never once have I seen them wear anything that didn't come out of Barney's."

"Can I ask the question we're all thinking: _why_ they are dressed so casually?" Rory asks.

"I think it's because I told mom we decided to have a casual Thanksgiving, and she took it very seriously," Lorelai tells her with a grin, "Okay, come on." She walks out into the living room with Rory and Jess in tow, "Aw, mom. You brought me wine, how thoughtful."

Emily rolls her eyes, "We brought sparkling juice for you, Lorelai. I knew you'd pout if you were left out."

"I would not!" Lorelai protests and Luke gives her an incredulous stare. "Well, I can't help I'm the only pregnant one here," she huffs.

An awkward silence sweeps the group, and Luke clears his throat, "Uh, Emily, Richard. You remember my nephew, Jess."

Jess reaches out to shake Richard's hand, "Nice to see you both, again."

"I hardly recognized you without the black-eye," Emily says with a smirk, making Rory laugh, "Oh my god! That's right! You got pecked in the eye by a swan and played it off like you got in a fight."

He groans, "Yeah, yeah. Big, tough Jess got attacked by a swan. Hilarious. That thing was possessed or something."

"The house looks lovely by the way," Richard says, "The two of you did a wonderful job."

"Aw, thanks Dad. Although, Luke was a _little_ more wonderful than I was," she says, patting her fiancé's chest.

Paul Anka sneaks into the living room sizing up their guests. "What is _that?!"_ Emily cries, pointing at the canine.

"That is Paul Anka," Lorelai says casually.

"You named your dog Paul Anka?" Emily asks in disbelief, "You aren't going to let it around the baby, are you?"

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "Well, his favorite place to sleep is in the crib, so yeah, I'd say they'll be pretty close," she jokes, making her mother cringe. "Mom, he's a good boy, and he's been incredibly therapeutic for me. He's great with Sookie and Jackson's kids, so he'll be fine."

"Having a pet is good for a child," Richard adds, making his wife scowl. "Remember Murray?"

"Who's Murray?" Luke asks. 

"Murray was Lorelai's pet bunny she was absolutely terrified of, so we gave it away," Emily explains. 

Lorelai groans, "I was four, and I _respected_ his space."

"You slept in the maid's room for a week," Richard reminds her. 

"I wonder where Murray is now?" Rory questions. 

Jess snorts, "Probably in a shoebox somewhere..."

"Okay, it is so not polite to mock the pregnant lady, especially over a small furry animal--you're all going to hell. I feel the tears coming on," Lorelai says sniffing dramatically.

Luke rolls his eyes, "I'm going to check on the food. Richard, Emily? Something to drink?"

"Thank you, Luke. I'll take a beer," Richard says, as if it's completely normal. 

Emily gives him an incredulous look, "A _beer?!_ "

"Yes, a beer. The game is on, Emily."

"Well, what does that have to do with anything?!"

Richard grins when Luke hands him a bottle, "Everyone knows the only suitable beverage to watch football with is a beer."

Lorelai leans into Rory's ear, "First the jeans, now a beer. I'm getting major _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_ vibes here."

Rory giggles, shushing her. "I don't think there's any other explanation."

/

After a surprisingly normal and even borderline delightful dinner, the men were parked in front of the television with Rory only joining them to escape any potential conflict with her grandma, while Lorelai sat in the kitchen with Emily. "Mom, I'm really enjoying this new look on you."

"Well, you said it was going to be casual, didn't you?" Emily retorts, sipping her wine.

Lorelai smiles, "Yeah, but I didn't even know you knew what that word meant."

Emily rolls her eyes, "I'm so glad you haven't lost your incredibly dry sense of humor. Now, are you sure you're feeling well? You didn't eat much for dinner."

Luke had already grilled her for only picking at her plate, but she assured him, and everyone else that she was indeed fine. "I'm just not as hungry as I used to be. She's pushing all my organs together, so sometimes it's just hard for me to eat as of late. I know, I know, everyone's shocked that those words are escaping these lips."

"I do remember those days. You came over a week and a half late. I was absolutely miserable," Emily shakes her head, "I suppose you were worth it, though." Lorelai notices a smirk tugging at the corners of her mother's mouth. "Well, I mean, you did get absolute perfection after all..."

Emily laughs softly, swirling the wine around in her glass, before looking up at Lorelai with a more serious expression. "I know you may find this hard to believe, but your father and I are very proud of you, Lorelai."

"Mom..."

"I am serious, Lorelai. You've done exceptionally well for yourself, and I don't just mean owning your own inn. As different as our parenting styles may be... you are an incredible mother. Rory is very lucky to have you, and so is this baby."

Lorelai doesn't know if it's all because of the jeans, or if it's because she finally made an effort to include her mother in her life, but she's speechless. She feels an abundance of tears spring up and she blinks them back, to no avail. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," Emily says quickly, and Lorelai shakes her head. "No, it's fine, mom. I'm just really hormonal and pretty much anything makes me cry now... but, I think even if I wasn't pregnant, that still would've made me react like this."

Emily shifts nervously in her chair. That was the first time she'd ever said something so sincere to Lorelai, and she wasn't expecting this sort of a reaction from her typically sarcastic daughter. Although she'd seen an adult Lorelai cry before, this was completely different. "I just... I needed you to know that," Emily simply states.

Lorelai nods, wiping the tears off her cheeks, "Well, thanks for saying it. I know things have been weird between all of us, but, I'm really happy you and dad decided to come over today."

"I am too. You're father is clearly enjoying himself," Emily nods to the living room with an eye roll, as the men exploded over some exciting play that must have just happened. Rory walks into the kitchen shortly after. "Had enough of the boys, Sweets?"

Rory goes to the fridge, opening it up with a sigh, "Apparently when you ask what those yellow post thingy's are for, you have to retrieve beer."

"See? This is exactly why we were boy-free around here for so many years," Lorelai says, rubbing her stomach, "I'll be right back. The little one is using my bladder as a punching bag again."

Rory wonders if Lorelai purposely got up, just so she and her grandma would be alone together. She stares at the table, before looking up at Emily, "So, Grandma, how uh, how have things been?"

Emily gives her a pointed stare, "Oh, fine, I suppose. I had to find a quick replacement for your position in the DAR, but Catherine's niece took over. Sure, the girl has a pink streak in her hair and doesn't know how to string together a proper sentence, but I needed someone on very short notice," she says curtly. 

Rory knows that was a dig at her, and in some ways, she did deserve it. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have ran off like I did. I know it was rude, and I know I hurt you. But, it was time for me to go back to school. That's where I should have been all along," she explains, "And I'm sorry I didn't say 'thank you' to you and Grandpa for everything you did for me. You helped me out a lot, and I acted incredibly entitled."

Emily is quiet for a while, completely soaking in her granddaughter's apology. "I suppose I owe you an apology as well. You are twenty-one after all. I should have treated you as such."

"It's okay, Grandma," Rory says, as Lorelai walks back into the kitchen. "So... what did I miss?" 

"I, uh, was actually just about to tell Grandma my news," she says, giving her mother an anxious glance. 

Emily raises her brows, "News?"

Rory takes a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Yes. First, I wanted to say that I am incredibly grateful to you and Grandpa paying for my Yale tuition, but I no longer need you to. My dad inherited money from his grandfather, and he offered to pay for Yale from now on and I accepted it."

Emily stares at her granddaughter in shock, suddenly getting up from her seat, "I see. Now I understand _exactly_ what is going on here. You invited us over as a diversion, to make us think you _really_ wanted us in your lives, only to break the ties with us forever by having your father pay for your tuition!"

Lorelai pinches the bridge of her nose, unable to comprehend the insanity. "Oh my god, mom. That is not true!"

"Oh, I think it is very true, Lorelai! You're probably the one who came up with this grand master plan!" 

"Did I dream up the conversation, we just had, like ten minutes ago?!" Lorelai says in disbelief, "Did you somehow get amnesia and forget that I literally just told you how happy I was that you and dad decided to come over today?!"

Emily flounces into the living room, "Oh, as if you haven't used that tired ruse over and over again to get what you want! Richard! Come on, we are leaving!"

"It wasn't mom! It was me, Grandma. I'll admit at first, I did want my dad to pay for Yale solely to get me out from under you and Grandpa's thumb. Mom had nothing to do with it, it was my decision," Rory states adamantly.

She tosses Richard's jacket at him, while all three men stare in confusion. "Emily? The game isn't even finished yet!"

"We are leaving!" she reiterates, whipping open the front door. 

"Mom, you are being ridiculous!" Lorelai shouts, as her father gives her a shrug, "Thank you for the delicious dinner--Lorelai, Luke. Good to see you again, Jess. Goodbye, Rory."

The four of them stand in the entry way, watching as the elder Gilmore's drive off, while Luke and Jess simply stare in total disbelief. "Can I be the first to ask... what the _hell_ just happened?" Luke questions, wrapping an arm around Lorelai's waist.

Lorelai turns to him, a defeated look on her face, "This was so not the peaceful Thanksgiving I was doctor-recommended to have," she sighs, dropping her head against Luke's chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify, I have decided not to add April to this particular work. 
> 
> I have very mixed feelings on her arc from the original series, and I know many people highly despised the addition of the character. (Sorry to any April fans!)
> 
> Personally, I'd rather focus more on Luke and Lorelai's relationship with each other, as well as Rory, Jess, Richard and Emily, and eventually, their baby... Scout! I honestly had the hardest time choosing a name that hasn't been used (that I know of) in other works. I think the great thing about Luke and Lorelai is their unconventionality and uniqueness as a couple, and I feel like them using an uncommon baby name totally tracks. :)


	19. If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me

"Oh my god, I've never been so excited to get into a bed just for the simple pleasure of sleep," Lorelai whines, slinging an arm over her face. Luke crawls in next to her, claiming his space before their bed is overtaken by Lorelai's pillows that seemed to be multiplying by the day.

"I try to do a nice thing, and see what happens? Why do I even bother? I always know how it's going to end!" she huffs, rolling over onto her pregnancy pillow.

Luke plays with a piece of her hair, "Your dad had a good time."

"Yeah, probably because he didn't have Emily Gilmore breathing fire down his neck, for like, a good five minutes..." she grumbles.

He leans over and kisses her forehead before reaching to turn off the lamp. "Just try to get some sleep," Luke says softly, running his hand along her belly, "Goodnight, Scout. We love you so much, and I can't believe your mother and I finally agreed on a name for you," he leans down to press a kiss against Lorelai's stomach, only to be kicked by his daughter, "Okay--guess she isn't a fan of kisses."

Lorelai laughs, rubbing her belly affectionately, "No, she's just saying she loves you back. Isn't that right, Scout?" she coos. "I can't believe she'll be out here pretty soon. Are you nervous?"

He joins Lorelai's hand on her stomach, "No," he says quickly, but he can see Lorelai giving him her 'you're lying to me' expression in the moonlight that's peering through their window. "Okay, fine. I might be a little nervous."

She reaches out to touch his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze, "That's perfectly normal, hon. I'm nervous, too. I haven't done this giving birth thing in a _really_ long time. And somehow I think it'll be nothing like 'riding a bike.'"

"You'll do great. And I'll be there to yell at, to pelt ice chips at--whatever you need to do. I will gladly be your punching bag," Luke says with a smirk.

Lorelai laughs, "Oh, wow. You might really regret that statement, buddy. Don't worry, as long as I get the drugs, I'll be happy and high as Woody Harrelson."

He rolls his eyes, "Excellent."

She sighs and sits up with a groan, "And... one more trip to the bathroom. I swear, kid. You better be cute."

/

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" 

Kirk jumps at the sound of Luke's voice, "I was just getting some coffee."

"You came behind my counter."

"I saw Lorelai do it the other day," Kirk shrugs.

Luke sighs, "Lorelai is my fiancé."

Kirk eyes him skeptically, "So only people you're sleeping with are allowed to go behind the counter?"

"Yes."

"Well...I don't really know you that well, Luke. I mean, I know what you do for a living, and I know you're a Scorpio, and you smell okay, but we've never really connected on a deeper level..."

Luke glares at him, pointing sharply to the other side of the counter, "Get out from behind my counter, Kirk!"

He takes the mug, and shuffles back to the other side, "Well, now it's a definite 'no.'"

Luke rolls his eyes, grabbing a plate Caesar had just put up for him. As he's walking past the door, he catches Lorelai entering the dinner, puckering her lips for a kiss as he walks by, "Hi, doll."

He pecks a kiss to her lips, and quickly delivers the plate to the table, before going back over to her. "Lorelai, what are you doing?"

Lorelai slowly sits down at her normal spot at the counter, "I'm saying hello to my very handsome baby-daddy."

"You're supposed to be at home," he says, trying to suppress his smile and be firm with her.

She sighs dramatically, leaning forward on her elbows, "Luke, I can't spend another minute inside. I'll go nuts. I'm going to the inn to get some work done, and then I have to take Paul Anka to the groomers. Besides, I'm feeling fine and drinking tons of water. I shouldn't be held prisoner anymore."

"I'll take Paul Anka to the groomers. What time?"

Lorelai looks at him incredulously, "2 o'clock. It's a shop in Woodbridge that my front desk girl, Kate, recommended. Are you _sure_ you want to take him?"

Luke nods, "Yes, I'll take him. Then you can go home after you're done at the inn."

She sticks her lip out in a pout, "If my ankles weren't so swollen, I'd fight you harder."

"I'll give you a foot massage tonight," Luke says with a smile, "Rory got on the road okay?"

Lorelai nods, "Yep. She had a little freak out over forgetting to return her community service vest, but I assured her I'd take care of it. Oh, she says 'thanks' for the snacks you packed for her very long half hour drive. Also, get this, she has to see the school's psychologist because she 'unexpectedly took time off.'"

"I guess that kind of makes sense," Luke says, wiping down the counter.

"Okay, but see, therapists always ask about the mother. I told her she could say whatever she wanted, as long as it started with 'My mother's very hot...'"

He snorts, "Yeah, 'cause that's not strange at all..."

Lorelai rolls her eyes, "My god, you and Rory really are two peas in a pod."

/

Luke drove to Woodbridge with Paul Anka in the front seat, the dog giving him a less than impressed stare. He pulls up to the front of the shop, and quickly clips the leash on Paul Anka's collar. "Come on, boy," he says, tugging at the leash.

The canine firmly stays put, digging his paws into the seat. Luke sighs, "Come on. Paul Anka, _out_ of the truck."

Clearly, the dog was not going to listen to him, so Luke reaches in and collects the sheepdog in his arms, kicking the truck door shut with his foot. Paul Anka whimpers helplessly, probably assuming he was going to the vet again, instead of the groomers.

Luke enters the shop, looking around for the owner. "Hello?" he calls out, setting Paul Anka back on the ground. When he looks up, his eyes meet a set of all too familiar dusty blues. He realizes he's dropped Paul Anka's leash when the canine slowly approaches the brunette woman, making little 'grfff' noises.

"Luke? Hi--I, I didn't know you were my 2 o'clock..."

He quickly grabs the leash, pulling Paul Anka back, "Anna! Hi... yeah, I uh, I'm bringing the dog in for my fiancé, Lorelai--Lorelai _Gilmore,_ that's probably who you had the appointment listed under," he stammers, completely thrown off by seeing his old girlfriend.

Anna Nardini was at one point, who Luke thought he'd spend the rest of his life with. If he recalls it right, he and Anna broke up around the same time Lorelai entered his dinner for the first time and changed his life forever. Now, he knows it wasn't _because_ of Lorelai that they broke up; that was all due to poor communication, bad tempers, and not being ready for commitment. Though, he wonders if his attraction to Lorelai was a subconscious factor in his lack of commitment to Anna.

"Oh? Fiancé... wow, congratulations," she says through a forced smile. "So, who do we have here?"

"Paul Anka. I know--a little quirky, but if you knew Lorelai you'd understand," Luke says, as Anna squats down next to the canine. Paul Anka walked over to her carefully, looking back at Luke a few times, as if he thought he was setting him up for some kind of a trap. He eventually lets Anna pet him and she runs her hand through his shaggy grey fur. "Hi, cutie! Oh my goodness, we are going to make you look so handsome."

Luke shifts his weight to the other leg, feeling tension all over his body. "So how long have you been doing this?"

"Well, my ex-husband was a veterinarian, so that's how I got into grooming. But I've only had this place for about four years," Anna says, placing heavy emphasis on 'ex-husband.'

"Oh, sure. Nice place," he says quickly, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable by the way she was staring at him.

Anna nods, "Thanks. How long have you and your fiancé been together?"

Luke feels his face grow warm, "We've known each other for quite a while. Really close friends for a long time. But, uh, we started dating over a year ago."

She raises her brows in surprise, "That's a pretty quick proposal. She must be very special to you."

"She is."

It's silent between the two of them, before Anna looks up from Paul Anka and shakes her head at Luke, "I can't believe it. Luke Danes toting around a dog for his fiancé. You were pretty anti-kid and anti-dog when we were dating, if I remember right."

"You really should say 'toting around a dog for his _pregnant_ fiancé' instead," Luke says with a proud smile. 

Anna looks at him like she's just been told she only has a few months to live. "You're... you're going to be a dad?"

Luke nods, "Due January 4th."

"Wow... things must have really changed once Lauren came into your life--"

"--it's Lorelai," he quickly corrects her.

She gives him another extremely forced smile, "Right, right, _Lorelai._ Unique name... how could I forget that?" 

"Do you have any kids?" Luke asks her in hopes of taking her focus off of him. 

Anna smiles and nods, "Yes. Seven-year-old twin boys. They keep me busy, that's for sure. Especially as a single mom. Do you know what she's having?"

"Yep, it's a girl," Luke beams.

"Well, knowing you, you'll be the world's most protective daddy to that little girl," she says with a smile. "I should start on Paul Anka--give it a couple hours or so?"

Luke nods, thankful to get out of the conversation. "Uh, sure! Sounds great."

"It was really good to see you Luke," Anna says, flashing him a bright smile, while her eyes danced seductively. 

"Yeah, you too," he calls out, before leaving the shop in a hurry. He gets in his truck, slamming the door shut behind him. He gripped the steering wheel like his life depended on it. Of all the dog groomers in the state of Connecticut, Lorelai just had to make an appointment with Anna Nardini. And of all the occupations in the world, Anna Nardini just _had_ to be a dog groomer. 

It wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't been giving him such weird vibes from the minute he stepped into the shop. And that look she gave him on the way out? That was her 'I want to jump in bed with you' look.

He spends the next two hours wasting time around Woodbridge, distracting himself from eventually having to go see Anna again. Luke allows himself to wonder what would have happened if Lorelai had decided to stay in Hartford and never moved to Stars Hollow. Would he have ended up with Anna? Would they be divorced by now? Have kids together? He hates even letting the thought cross his mind, because he can't bare to picture his life without Lorelai as his partner, but seeing Anna again makes him wonder, and realize how unbelievably happy he is that Lorelai did come to Stars Hollow all those years ago.

Luke walks back into the shop, the bell jingling over the door. Moments later, Anna walks back into the front of the shop with Paul Anka in tow, looking like a brand new dog. She even tied a blue bandana around his neck. 

"He looks great! He didn't give you too much trouble?" Luke says, taking the leash back from her. 

Anna shakes her head, "Not at all. He was an absolute sweetheart."

Luke hands her his card, and she swipes it, a couple receipts printing out. "I still can't get over seeing you here like this. You know, I actually saw you once about five years ago in the parking lot of some lumberyard."

"Yeah?"

She nods, handing him one of the receipts to sign. "Yeah, I waved, but you either didn't see me, or didn't want to see me."

Luke quickly scribbles his signature on the paper, "I didn't see you. I, uh, I would have waved back, unless I was holding stuff, and then I would have you know, nodded or something."

Anna leans over the counter, smiling up at him, "I'm sure. I thought about you when the Red Sox won. I mean, I _always_ think about you when the Red Sox are on. We went to so many games together, didn't we? God, that was fun."

"Uh, huh..." Luke murmurs, feeling his face heat up with sheer second-hand embarrassment. Why was she doing this? "Well, I better get home. I'm sure Lorelai's waiting patiently to see him."

"Waiting patiently for you too, I'm sure," she says, writing something on the other receipt before handing it to him, "You know, if you ever want to grab a drink... give me a call."

He takes the receipt from her and stuffs it into his back pocket. Luke tightens his grip on Paul Anka's leash, "Thanks, but, I don't think that would be smart for either of us," he says firmly, giving her a nod on his way out, "Thanks, Anna."

She pushes up from the counter, clearly trying to hide her disappointment in his response, although she shoots him a wide smile, "No problem. See you around, Luke..."

/

When Luke enters the house, Lorelai was sitting on the couch flipping through a bridal magazine. "Oh! My boys are back. Let me see!" she chirps, twisting to see Paul Anka. The canine bounds over to her and Lorelai's face lights up, "Oh, wow! Look at how handsome!" 

Paul Anka hops up on the couch and lays down next to her as she strokes his clean, soft fur, "You look like 'Best in Show' material now, my friend."

Luke comes up behind her and leans over the couch to kiss her, "Hi hon," she says with a grin, "How'd it go? Did he do anything weird? Please tell me he didn't do the thing where he plays dead when you want him to walk on the leash?"

"No--nope. He was, uh, very normal..." Luke stammers, praying she doesn't ask about the groomer, who was anything but. Lorelai can sense that something is off with her fiancé. "Are you okay?"

He nods, "Yeah, I'm fine. I dropped him off, I picked him up, we came home. Nothing earth shattering." 

It wasn't that Luke wanted to hide his interaction with Anna from Lorelai--after all nothing happened, nor would it ever. But, he did know that with Lorelai being in a highly sensitive state right now, it would create unnecessary stress that she didn't need to have. 

She seems satisfied enough with his answer and smiles, "Okay, well, thanks for taking him. I'm glad he didn't give you too much trouble."

"Not a problem. You feeling okay?" Luke says, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. 

Lorelai nods, "I'm good. It was nice being back at the inn. Even if it was just for a couple hours, I really needed it."

Luke reaches out and rubs her belly, "Good. I'm sorry if I've been hovering too much lately."

She places her hand on top of Luke's, and flashes him a sweet smile, "It's okay, hon. I know it's out of love."

He leans in, kissing her softly, "You'd be correct. I love you, Lorelai."

She grins and places her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him in for another kiss, "And I love you, Lucas Danes."

"Thank you for just... being you."

Lorelai studies him intently. She could tell their was still something on his mind, but if he didn't want to talk about it, she wasn't going to push. "A rare statement. I think I'll keep you," she says, waggling her brows. 

He laughs, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm serious. I'm so glad we're finally doing this. And I can't _wait_ to marry you."

"I know we haven't really talked about wedding details, but, maybe we should start, now that she's almost here?"

Luke nods, "Whatever you want."

"Ooo! Even a beach-themed wedding? 'Cause I'd love to see you in a good pair of bermudas," Lorelai chirps.

"Okay, whatever you want, _except_ for that."

"Good to know."

/

November 30th came with soft morning rays of sunshine streaming through the bedroom window. Luke woke up before his alarm clock, probably due to the anxiety that surrounded the day. But, this morning, he feels completely different than prior years. He was sure it was all due to the beautiful brunette woman, the mother of his child and his soon-to-be wife, sleeping peacefully next to him. Luke knew Lorelai hated it when he watched her sleep, insisting that she looked like Jabba the Hutt, which earned her points in Luke's book for the _Star Wars_ reference, however, he protested that he'd never seen a more adorable person slumbering than her. 

The covers were tucked just below her belly, and Luke could see little movements from their daughter under the white tank top Lorelai was wearing, surprised that she seemed to be able to sleep through them. He wondered if Scout would inherit his affinity for early mornings, or if she'd be like Lorelai and sleep until noon, if allowed.

Lorelai's eyelids flutter open, adjusting to the morning light. Luke runs his hand along her side, "Hey." 

"Hey," she says sleepily, "It's early."

He grins, "Yeah, it is early. Why are you awake?"

Lorelai slowly pushes herself up on her elbows, "Have to pee..." She swings her legs over the side of the bed, trying to find her center of gravity as she stands up and waddles to the bathroom. 

She comes back minutes later, crawling over next to Luke, "It's November 30th."

He pulls her in closer to him, "It is."

"How are you?"

Luke can honestly say he's never felt better on a November 30th. "I'm good, Lorelai."

She runs her hand along his cheekbone, "Yeah?"

He nods, "Yeah. It's different this time."

Lorelai adjusts the pillow that was helping to cushion her stomach and gives him a curious look, "Different?"

"I'm not as... I don't know, sad? Maybe that's the wrong word, but I guess I don't have the hopeless feeling that always bogged me down in the past," Luke says, sweeping his hand gently over her hair, "That's all thanks to you." He moves his hand to her belly, rubbing gentle circles against the fabric of her tank top, "And you too, peanut."

She hums softly at his touch, "That's very sweet. I'm glad."

"Yeah," he reiterates, "Does that feel good?"

Lorelai nods, "Feels amazing," she sleepily states, "Maybe you can lull the little jumping bean back to sleep..."

"I'll try my best."

/

It wasn't until Lorelai started a load of laundry that things began to spiral out of control. As she threw a pair of Luke's jeans into the wash, she noticed a crumpled piece of paper flutter out of one of his pockets. She unfolds it, her brows knitting together skeptically as she notices the fancy, scrawling writing at the bottom of it, which spelled out 'Anna' with a little heart and a phone number. Lorelai goes directly into the living room, where Luke was watching TV, and reaches over the back of the couch to dangle the paper in front of his face. 

"What is this?" he asks, taking the paper from her, so he can actually see it. 

Lorelai gives him a pointed stare, "I'd sure love to know."

Luke mentally curses himself for forgetting the stupid receipt in his pocket. Exactly what he didn't want to happen, was happening. "Lorelai, look--I can explain," he starts pushing himself up from the couch. 

"You better start, because I have a hell of lot of questions right now," she says, folding her arms over her chest. 

Luke sighs, "I dated her a _long_ time ago, before I even met you, and she just happened to be who you booked Paul Anka's grooming appointment with. She was flirting, and didn't seem to care at all that I told her I had a pregnant fiancé at home, and she wrote her number on the receipt. I swear to you, Lorelai, _nothing_ happened."

Lorelai won't look at him, a true sign that she was really upset. "Have you had any contact with her since we started dating?"

"What? No! My god, before a few days ago, I hadn't seen her since I broke up with her," Luke says in disbelief. 

She's crying, and Luke knows it's her hormones that are making her not think straight, "I know I'm not exactly desirable anymore, but you really didn't have to go and do this..."

Luke runs his hand through his hair in exasperation, "Lorelai, please. I am not having an affair! It's exactly like I told you, she was hitting on me, I did not reciprocate. I would never do that. You know I love you and you're the only woman I want to be with."

"This has happened to me before... Chris did this to me when I was pregnant with Rory..." she says between sniffles. 

"I'm not Christopher and I am _not_ cheating on you," he persists, reaching out for her, but she pushes him away, "I want to be alone, Luke."

"Lorelai, come on. No you don't," he pleads, going after her as she grabs her jacket from the front closet. "Please, don't run out like this."

She shakes her head and walks out the front door, "Don't follow me!" she shouts, before slamming it behind her. Luke pinches the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply. He didn't do anything wrong, and he knows that deep down Lorelai has to believe that. He could never, and would never, cheat on her.

"Dammit," he mutters, watching the Jeep disappear out of the driveway. Without giving it a second thought, he races into the kitchen and grabs the keys to his truck. There wasn't a chance in hell that Luke was going to let her drive off like this.


	20. Bells Will Be Ringing... at Three A.M.

Lorelai pulled into the driveway of Liz and TJ's house, just as her third round of tears subsided. It wasn't that Liz was necessarily her first choice to talk to about her problems, however, she needed to know more about this Anna woman and how serious she and Luke had been at one point in history. Plus, she was still acting on every over-emotional hormone coursing through her body, so rationality wasn't at the forefront at the moment. Lorelai rings the doorbell, and moments later Liz opens it, surprised to see her future sister-in-law standing on the other side. 

"Lorelai! Hey, what's going on?" Liz asks, noticing her tear-stained face, "Are you okay?"

She nods, "Yeah, uh, could we talk?"

Liz ushers her inside, "Of course, honey, come on in. TJ! TJ! Lorelai's here--put some clothes on!"

"What?"

"Put some _clothes_ on! Lorelai's here!" Liz shouts back at him.

Lorelai cringes, thinking about seeing TJ in any state less than fully clothed did nothing for her mood. She follows Liz into their living room, plopping down on a vintage sofa next to her. 

"Tell me what happened. Did you and Luke have a fight? I swear to god, I'll kill him if he made you cry," Liz starts, as TJ waltzes into the room in a satin robe. "Lorelai! Welcome to the new pad! You want me to give you the grand tour?"

Liz waves him off, "Not now, TJ. Lorelai and Luke had a fight."

"A fight?! If he made you cry, I'll kill him!"

Lorelai sighs, looking between the two of them, "Guys! Please. I want to know about one of Luke's old girlfriends--Anna Nardini? What's the story there?"

TJ shrugs, "Anna Nardini, huh? Anna Nardini... hmmm nope. Name don't ring-a-bell." 

Liz waves him off and he shockingly takes her hint, leaving the room to just the girls. "Oh... her. Well, if I remember right, she was Luke's uh... late-eighties, early-nineties girlfriend. I really don't know much about their relationship, but she was toxic, man. I mean, _so_ controlling," Liz pauses, "Why'd you wanna know?"

"I found a receipt from the grooming shop Anna owns, in Luke's jeans pocket. She had written her name, and left a number and a stupid little heart on it. I made the appointment, but Luke brought Paul Anka there and he didn't tell me about seeing her, and I don't know, it just really bothered me," Lorelai sniffs back tears, "When I was pregnant with Rory, Chris cheated on me, and god, I guess I just had flashbacks to that and freaked out at poor Luke. Oh my god, I'm a horrible person..." she cries, realizing that she really didn't give Luke a fair chance.

Liz shakes her head, and pats Lorelai's knee, "Hey, you are not a horrible person, okay? You're pregnant and hormonal and it's totally understandable. But, if there's one thing I do know, it's that my big brother is not a cheater. He loves you, Lorelai. Like, he is so crazy and hopelessly in love with you. From the first time I saw you two together, I knew the man was finally in love. He didn't look at any of those other girls the way he looks at you."

Lorelai finds herself crying again, a mixture of embarrassment for allowing herself to even think that Luke would cheat on her, and overwhelm in thinking about how much Luke really did love her. "Thanks, Liz. I feel so stupid... Luke probably thinks I'm insane."

She shakes her head, "Nah, he still claims me as his sister. I think you're good," she laughs, and the doorbell rings. TJ scurries out of the kitchen and answers the door, revealing Luke on the other side. "Ohhhh boy! The man himself decides to show his face around here, huh? After the pain you have caused my almost sister-in-law, I should be kickin' your--"

 _"TJ!"_ Both Lorelai and Liz shout, making him turn around and throw his hands up, "What?!"

"Let him in the house for god sakes," Liz orders, rolling her eyes. 

Luke groans and brushes past TJ, walking into the living room towards Lorelai and Liz. He shoves his hands in his pockets, his telltale anxious tick. Lorelai looks up at him and gives him a small smile, "Hi."

"Hi. Should we go outside and talk?"

Lorelai nods, pushing herself up from the couch. She turns to Liz, thanking her for hearing her out, before following Luke outside. Once they step onto the porch, Lorelai immediately pulls Luke in for a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry--I shouldn't have wigged out on you like that. I know you would never cheat on me. I overreacted like a crazy person. I'm sorry, hon."

Luke smiles, wrapping his arms around her waist, "It's okay, Lorelai. I should have just told you the second I got home from seeing Anna. I thought by not telling you, it would avoid unnecessary stress, which clearly, did not happen the way I hoped," he half laughs, brushing his thumb against her cheekbone. 

She breathes a sigh of contentment at the touch, "If I would have just taken ten seconds to think, and hear you out, I would have realized that it was a crazy coincidence that you saw her."

"Well, now we're all even. I ran out when Christopher called, so I guess you get a free pass on this one," Luke says, kissing her forehead. 

Lorelai smirks, "Well, if you insist."

"Come here," he says, pulling her into him and connecting his lips with hers. They continue kissing until they're interrupted with the sounds of someone sniffling behind them. They glance over to see TJ and Liz standing in the doorway watching the two of them blissfully, "It's just so damn beautiful," TJ sobs, and Luke groans, making a 'leave' motion with his arm, without even removing his lips from Lorelai's.

/

Later that night, Lorelai wanders into the kitchen where Luke was unloading the dishwasher, "Hey, you know what I just realized? We had a fight, but we can't even have great make-up sex."

After Lorelai's trip to the ER, Dr. Price advised them to cool it on any and all bedroom activities, at least until it was closer to Lorelai's due date, as it could trigger early labor. Luke heeded her warning as much as it killed him to remain chaste for several weeks, while Lorelai complained almost daily about their medically advised 'drought.'

"You know, here's a topic that will get your mind off of that--why'd you go to Liz and TJ's?"

Lorelai snorts, "Thank you, now I'm officially not thinking about _it_ anymore. Um, I wanted to know more about Anna, and I thought Liz could give me some insight."

"Really?" Luke asks incredulously.

"Yes, really. And she did," Lorelai says, leaning her achy back against the counter.

Luke puts the last of the plates away and closes the cupboard, "Any insight from Liz should come with a warning label."

Lorelai playfully punches his bicep, "Be nice to your sister! She totally made me realize that I have nothing to worry about with you. Not to quote _Grease_ here, but you're hopelessly devoted to me."

He rolls his eyes, "You needed Liz to realize that?" 

"Not exactly, but, she exposed you and said that you look at me differently than you ever looked at your other girlfriends."

Luke blushes, folding his arms over his chest, "Well, that's true. I've never been madly in love with anyone but you."

She smiles, putting her palms flat on the kitchen island, "I'm thinking about it again."

"Uh, TJ in his silk robe... your dad walking in on us... having to see Kirk naked after he fell into the rosebushes..."

She cringes, "Oh my god. Wait--are those your go-to's when you need to... _calm down_?" she giggles.

"So what if they are?"

Lorelai snorts, "That's fantastic, oh my god."

Luke shrugs, "Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. Especially when you have a fiancé that looks so damn sexy all the time."

"Aghhh! Kirk naked...running...rosebushes!" Lorelai shouts, clamping her hands over her ears. Luke grins and gives her shoulder a squeeze as he passes by her to go to the refrigerator. "And you are not allowed to wear those gray sweatpants anymore, mister!"

/

Two weeks later, the couple is startled awake by a 3 A.M. ringing of the church bells. Lorelai sits up to her elbows, "Oh my god!"

Luke snaps up, "What? What is it? Is it time? Are you in labor?!"

She shakes her head, "No! That noise! Is it in the house?"

"It's the church bells..." Luke mumbles, after he fully wakes up.

Lorelai runs her hands over her belly, irritated at the early wake-up call that was, for the first time, not from her unborn daughter kicking her awake. "How'd the church bells get in the house?"

Luke flops back down on the bed with a groan, "They're outside... jeez, what time is it?"

She turns her head to the nightstand, "Three-twelve! Why are the church bells ringing at three-twelve?!"

"I don't know. I was having a dream, too. We were shopping for a car and I wanted to see the trunk space, 'cause you know, I have a truck and it's convenient to haul things. So, I wanted to see what the deal with the car was, and the salesman opened it. I asked him how many cubic feet it was and he looked it up in the manual and I was satisfied. So when he closed the hood, the bells rang."

Lorelai swings her legs over the side of the bed, utterly displeased. "You have very mundane dreams."

"Where are you going?"

She slips on a pair of Luke's sweatpants, and goes to the closet to get a jacket, "Well, now Scout's awake, so we might as well go and see what the hell is going on, being I'm not going to be able to sleep anymore."

It took fifteen minutes to finally drag Luke out of the house before the two of them were walking toward the town square--well, full out waddling in Lorelai's case. 

"Town meeting!" Kirk was sleepily shouting into a megaphone. 

Luke pulls his jacket around himself tighter, "What? There was a clown beating?"

"A town meeting, I think?" Lorelai says, one hand on her back, the other rubbing the front of her belly, "God, I will _kill_ Taylor for this."

They enter through the side door of Patty's studio, and the place was already filled with people. "Oh, good, full house. Just goes to show how easily manipulated we all are. You ring a bell, we drool like dogs," Luke grumbles.

"Hey, you guys hear the bells?" Babette says as they slide into seats next to hers. 

"No, we were just on one of our spontaneous three-in-the-morning strolls, saw everybody in here, and wondered, 'hey, what's up?'" Luke says, his grumpy brand of sarcasm coming in strong that morning. 

Babette looks at him in wonder, "Really?"

"No."

Babette leans into Lorelai, "Gee, he's cranky at three in the morning. How are you feelin' sugah?" she asks, giving Lorelai's incredibly round midsection a gentle pat. 

"I'm very ready to not be pregnant anymore. I'm also ready to kill Taylor for waking me and the little babe up, when sleep is very fleeting nowadays," she grumbles, earning a sympathetic look from her neighbor. "Any idea what this is about?"

Babette shrugs, "No, Taylor's not even here yet, and Kirk's up there, futzing with something, but he won't tell us what's going on."

Suddenly, Taylor comes to life on the screen Kirk had set up, making everyone jump with his much too enthusiastic welcome, "Greetings, everyone!"

"Taylor's in a little box!" Babette marvels.

Luke turns to Lorelai, "And the nightmare continues..."

"People, we have a tremendous problem that needs our immediate attention. That's why I chose the extraordinary step of broadcasting to you tonight from this remote location," Taylor starts. 

"It better be remote enough for you to get stuck there for the rest of your life," Luke warns, making the rest of the townies chuckle.

Taylor rolls his eyes, "I'm at my sister's in Maine, for your information Lucas. Now, as we all know, the Stars Hollow Winter Carnival is this weekend, and we have never not had a Stars Hollow Winter Carnival. It's a hundred and twenty-five year tradition."

Lorelai shifts in her seat, "Is he getting to the point soon? I have to pee."

"Lorelai has to pee! Hurry it up!" Gypsy barks at him.

"Okay! Okay. Let's cut to the chase. I run the winter carnival, it's this weekend, and I am snowed in, unable to get back into town," Taylor says sadly.

Patty stares at the screen incredulously, "So?"

"Maybe it's the lateness of the hour, or a bad computer connection, but we have _never_ had to cancel a carnival, and it's absolutely impossible for me to get back into town to run it!"

"I must be tired. I'm not gettin' this," Babette proclaims.

Taylor palms his face in frustration, "People, are you not hearing me? I won't be there to run the carnival. Draw the obvious conclusion."

Patty silences the crowd, "Oh! Okay, I get it."

"Thank you, Patty," Taylor sighs in relief.

Patty looks to Kirk, "Hey, Kirk? Want to run the carnival?"

"Sure," Kirk nods, clad in his rubber duck pajamas and a furry bomber hat.

"Great. Is that all Taylor?"

The town selectman stares at the crowd in shock, "No. Uh, well, good for you, people. I guess we don't have to cancel it after all."

"Gee, thanks Taylor," Lorelai says, giving a sleeping Luke's knee a pat, "Come on gramps, let's get you back to bed."

Luke takes her hand as she drags him out of the studio, his eyes still mostly shut. "I'm gonna fall back to sleep... and dream about running Taylor over in that car I was looking at," he mumbles.

"Oh, that's nice, honey. Is there enough room to put his body in the trunk?"

/

Luke didn't realize how tired he actually was until he almost nodded off pouring coffee at the diner later that morning. With his impending fatherhood happening any time now, he wasn't sleeping as soundly as he had in the past. 

He's brought out of his daze, when Lorelai breezes into the diner, a big smile on her face. "Hi, doll! Guess what? I've gotten so much done this morning, it's scary!"

"What's scary is that you're way too chipper for someone who is just about to have a baby and got woken up by church bells at three A.M."

Lorelai shakes her head, still smiling ear-to-ear, "I saw the sunrise. I finally opened that prenatal yoga DVD, and I am seriously bummed that I waited thirty-seven weeks to finally try it out. I paid all the bills. I finished the Christmas decorating. _And,_ this is a first, I saw the beginning of Katie Couric. I don't think I've seen the first five minutes of her in my life. You know, she and Matt Lauer are much more serious in the first half-hour than they are later on. I guess that makes sense. You know, you can afford to make people sad and angry about war and the economy and stuff when they first wake up. But then, just as they're heading to the office, you leave them with a dose of Matthew McConaughey, 'People's sexiest man,' and whoosh! they're rarin' to go."

Luke blinks rapidly, trying to get his brain to follow her extra rapid speed. "Yeah, Matthew McConaughey always gets me rarin'. Hey, are you sure you should be doing that yoga stuff? I mean, we're not even supposed to be... you _know."_

"We can start having sex again, hon," she says holding her cup of decaf up to her mouth with a smirk. Luke blushes and raises his brows, "Lorelai! Shhh!"

"What? No one heard me. I'm almost thirty-eight weeks. Hypothetically, she could come any day now, without having se-- _doing_ that fun thing we like so much, so it's fine, babe. I feel great, like better than I have in months!" Lorelai says, grabbing his arm, "Which is why I signed up to uh, man a booth at the carnival this year. I have a great concept too!"

Luke gives her a questionable stare, "Okay, are you _sure_ you should be doing this? In your condition?" 

"What is this, the 1950's?"

"I just want you to be relaxed and as stress free as possible until she decides to make her debut," Luke says, pouring coffee for his other patrons sitting at the counter. 

Lorelai frowns, folding her arms over her stomach, "But I _am_ relaxed and stress free. You know how big of a sucker I am for town events. And this will help take my mind off the fact that I still haven't spoken to either of my parents since Thanksgiving."

Luke reaches forward and tucks some stray hair behind her ear, "Whatever will make you happy."

She puckers her lips for a kiss, which he leans in and gives her. "Yes. It will make me happy. Now, I have to head to the inn because I have the New England Maple Syrup Council checking in at noon."

"There's a whole council for maple syrup?"

"Yep, a whole council of people keeping the tree-tapping tradition alive. Bye, hon," she blows him a kiss before waddling out of the diner, as Luke watched in amazement. He was fully expecting her to slow down a lot in her final few weeks, but Lorelai somehow got her second wind, becoming more energized than ever. He'd have to go back and consult the books, to see if that was a normal thing, or if it was just Lorelai always defying the norm. He couldn't believe that any day now he would become a father. Before Lorelai came along, he thought he'd never have kids. He was certain of that, in fact. But every day since they stood on the stairs of the Dragonfly Inn together, when Lorelai tearfully admitted she was pregnant, he started feeling less and less anxious and more excited at the prospect of finally being able to hold his daughter in his arms. Yes, Lucas Danes was fully ready to become a father.

/

Just as Lorelai was about to leave the inn for the day, Logan walks through the front door, sighing when he sees her. 

"Um, hi?"

"Hi," he says, awkwardly staring off into the sitting room, "I was gonna call you, but I figured you wouldn't take the call."

Lorelai shoots him a disdainful smile, "Yeah, you figured right."

"Listen, I just need a minute of your time," he asks carefully.

"I can't fathom what a minute of my time is gonna do for you."

Logan runs a hand along his jaw, no doubt trying to rid himself of the tension, "Just a minute. Then I'm gone."

Lorelai agrees to hear him out, leading him into the sitting room, where only a few guests were occupying. "Alright, let's hear it."

"I know I'm not your favorite person in the world," he starts.

She snorts, "No, you're definitely low on the list, right above the guy who thought up smallpox blankets."

He nods, "Well, in my defense, I think I'm a notch or two higher than that."

Lorelai gives him a skeptical stare, "I don't really think you're in a position to comment on that. In fact, let's take inventory of all the delightful things that have happened since you waltzed into my daughter's life. She was arrested, convicted, she's on probation, she'll have a criminal record unless we can get it expunged, she dropped out of school, moved out of my house, she didn't speak to me for five months, three weeks, and sixteen days. No, wait a minute. Come to think of it, you are my favorite person."

Logan scoffs, "Okay, well, I can defend myself on one or two of those points."

"No. You really can't. Why are you here, Logan?"

He chews on his upper lip, before leaning forward in his seat, "I miss her, okay?! I made a mistake and I'm trying to rectify it, but _nothing_ is working. She won't talk to me."

Lorelai shrugs, "Do you blame her?"

"No--but I'm doing everything I can! I buy her gifts, flowers, books, coffee cart... I'm trying to show her how I feel," he explains.

"And it sounds like Rory is trying to show you how she feels," Lorelai says evenly.

Logan stares at the coffee table, tapping his foot anxiously against the table leg, "Look, I figured this was a suicide mission, okay? It's probably something you and Rory will laugh about for years to come. But I'm not giving up until I exhaust all my options, and asking for your help is one of them."

Lorelai stares at him in disbelief. The boy whom she wanted as far away from her daughter as possible, was asking for _her_ help. "You're seriously here asking for my help to win Rory back? This isn't a joke?"

"I'm going broke, Lorelai."

She smirks, "Well, you got moxie... I'll give you that, my friend."

"Thanks. I think I get it from my dad."

"I hate your dad."

Logan smiles, "Me too. See? We have that in common."

Lorelai shakes her head, "Listen, kid. I can't fix this for you. I promised myself I wasn't going to involve myself in things that Rory needs to take care of herself. She's twenty-one years old. Her moving in with her grandparents and dropping out of school was proof that my opinion wasn't going to change her mind. If Rory wants to take you back, that's up to her. So, I appreciate you coming here and trying to make me an ally, but I can't be that for you, Logan. I'm sorry."

/

Two days later, the front door opened and a familiar face waltzed into the house, "Honey, I'm home!" Rory announces, dropping her bags on the entry floor. 

"Kitchen!" Lorelai announces happily, sewing Paul Anka's costume for the Winter Carnival. Rory walks into the kitchen and wraps her arms around Lorelai, "Hello, mommy-dearest!"

"Hi, offspring number one! How are you?"

Rory immediately goes to the fridge and grabs a bottle of water, "I'm good! Glad to have a break from Paris's reign of terror at the Yale Daily News, but other than that, it's been awesome being back! Even though I haven't officially started classes yet, it's just been so great being a part of the Daily News. I forgot how much I missed the ol' campus."

Lorelai smiles, "So you think you made the right decision?"

"I _know_ I made the right decision. Now, tell me about you! And Luke, and my baby sister," Rory says, plopping down across from Lorelai. 

"Oh, it's pretty much the same. I already told you about my little freak-out over Luke's old girlfriend, so that was really the only excitement around here. Oh! Taylor called a town meeting at three-in-the-freaking-morning about the Winter Carnival, which speaking of, we are going to have our own booth and it is going to be so awesome."

Rory knits her brows, "Are you sure you want to have a booth? You could like, go into labor any minute."

"Okay, I'm really starting to think you and Luke might share a brain. Yes, I want to have a booth. I will be fine. Thank you for your concern," Lorelai says, starting to sew the costume again, "Hey--you haven't heard from grandma or grandpa have you?"

Rory shakes her head, "No, not a word."

"What do you think we should do?" Lorelai asks.

"I don't know--nothing?" 

Lorelai sighs, "Hey, ice, ice baby, come on. You know we have to sort this out."

Rory folds her arms over her chest, "Sorry, I'm not trying to be cold here, but I don't think I should feel guilty because I want my father to pay for college."

"No, you shouldn't, but my parents do have feelings. Especially grandma. She seems to be ultra sensitive at the moment. I swear, some of my hormones have rubbed off on her."

"Okay, fine. I'll send an email or something," Rory mutters.

"Listen, I thought I made some real progress with them. And, I really think the night wouldn't have ended in nuclear warfare, had the subject of your dad paying for Yale not come up. If we can somehow get it across to them that just because they aren't going to be paying for Yale anymore, doesn't mean we don't want them in our lives, I think we can get back on track."

Rory is still thrown off by her mother's sudden mission to be one big happy family, and Lorelai can read it on her daughter's face. "I know, you think this is weird. Me, the woman who has never had a good relationship with Richard and Emily Gilmore, who made _every_ excuse in the book to distance herself from them, is suddenly wanting to turn a new leaf. But, Sweets, it's time. I'm sick of being so distant. Luke really put things into perspective for me, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. They're still here, and I shouldn't just take that for granted."

Rory knew about Luke's parents both passing, and how that has affected him in the few conversations they've had about that subject. It was a shame too, she would have loved to have had another set of grandparents who seemed to be wonderfully normal, compared to the Gilmore's and especially the Hayden's. She knew she should have more appreciation for her grandma and grandpa, after all they've done so much for her. Darn, her humanity.

"Yeah, okay. I'll try too."

Lorelai smiles, "Thank you, hon," she pauses, giving Rory's hand a loving squeeze, "Oh, I had a very interesting visitor at the inn a couple days ago."

Rory gives her a bewildered look, "Uh, who?"

"My favorite Yale frat-boy who has enough money to make Scrooge McDuck look poor."

"Oh my god, Logan came to the inn? He came to see you? Why?!" Rory says in disbelief.

Lorelai sighs, "He wants you back, Sweets. Apparently, you won't respond to him throwing gifts and money at you, which--by the way, so proud of you for, and he's gotten desperate. He asked if I'd help him get you back."

Rory rolls her eyes, "I can't believe it. He's gone insane! I mean, he came to my apartment and told me he loved me..."

"He said it? He dropped the 'l-word?'" Lorelai asks, wide-eyed.

She nods, "Yeah. I didn't even know what to say back, I just told him I had to go and--" Rory stops, her cell-phone ringing interrupting her thought.

"Who is it? Is it Logan? Speak of the devil?"

Rory holds the phone in her hand, staring at the screen as it rang, "No. It's Jess..."


	21. The Birthday Story

Lorelai waits impatiently for Rory to return back to the kitchen after taking the phone call from Jess. She had to admit, he did kind of grow on her, but Lorelai remembered all too well the mixed emotions and heartbreak that came with her daughter dating Jess. 

Rory comes back in with an unreadable expression on her face and Lorelai gesticulates wildly. "And? And? What did he want?"

"He's got Broadway tickets to _Sweeney Todd_ and he invited me with," Rory says, sitting back down across from her mother.

Lorelai stares at her in disbelief, "Jess got tickets to a _musical?_ Jess? Jess Mariano? Jess Mariano will be sitting in a stuffy theater for two hours, listening to Mrs. Lovett sing about the worst pies in London?"

Rory ignores her sarcastic response, "Yes. Apparently he's been doing some work for this fancy-schmancy publisher who had the tickets, but he and his wife are going to be in Europe instead, so he gave them to Jess."

"Really?" Lorelai asks incredulously. Hearing that Jess was clearly doing something productive was a positive, considering his past. "So... is it like a date?"

"I don't know," Rory quickly states. "Probably not, I mean, I'm sure he only asked me because he knows I like Sondheim."

"Uh-huh, sure. Sondheim. Right."

Rory folds her arms over her chest, "What? You don't think so?"

Lorelai shrugs, a smug look on her face, "No, no. I just think that since Jess knows that you and Logan aren't seeing each other at the moment, maybe he thought this would be a good opportunity to see if there was still a spark there or something."

It wasn't lost on Rory that she and Jess never really did figure out where they stood with each other after he asked her to run off with him. Her decision to let him go was abrupt and acted thoroughly on impulse, and was quickly followed by Logan entering her life. She still didn't know how she truly felt about Jess. Parts of her wondered if he was the one who got away. But, there was still Logan, who, as frustrating as he could often be, was still holding a large piece of her heart.

"Well, it's not a date, okay? It's just two friends getting to enjoy the magic of watching Patti LuPone perform live. Now would you drop it?"

Lorelai's mouth goes agape, "Oh my god, _Patti LuPone_ is in it? Give me the ticket!"

Rory shakes her head, "No way. Tickets are for January 3rd. The last thing we need is you throwing off Miss LuPone's performance because you start contracting."

Lorelai sticks her lip out in a pout, "Mean! I'd obviously hold her in until Mrs. Lovett gets hurled into the oven," she says matter-of-factly. 

"Ugh! Spoiler alert!"

/

"Luke, fill me up. I'm going to need it today," Rory says as she wanders into the kitchen. "Mom's not up yet?"

He shakes his head, "Nope, she was still sleeping as of ten minutes ago. There wasn't a chance in hell I was going to wake her."

Rory smiles, taking her large cup of coffee from Luke, "Yeah, that's probably for the best. How are you doing? Excited? Nervous? A little of both?"

Luke watches her with amusement. She was so much like Lorelai. "I think I'm more excited than nervous at this point. Though, ask me again when your mom says she's in labor. I might have a different answer for you."

"Oh, you'll be fine. Me, on the other hand? Count me out. I was permanently traumatized after having to be Sherry's doula for six hours," Rory cringes. 

Lorelai finally makes an appearance, coming down the stairs clad in her fuzzy pink robe, one hand pressed to the small of her back, "Good morning..."

"Hey, beautiful. How are you feeling?" Luke asks her with slight suspicion. At this point, he was very used to seeing her walk around with her hand on her achy back like that, but this morning there was something in her overall look that made him wonder. 

She pulls up a chair next to Rory, slowly lowering herself onto it, "I'm fine. My back is a little more sore than normal, but everything else seems to be working properly."

Rory nods, "Well, that's good. Working properly is good."

Luke presses a kiss to Lorelai's lips, "Do you want some pancakes?"

"No, I'm not really hungry. I'll just have some juice."

As much as he wants to force her to eat something, Luke already knows that's a losing battle, which could potentially end in tears. Instead, he simply pours her some juice and gives Rory the stack of pancakes. "I still can't believe everyone decided to have the Winter Carnival. I mean, we _finally_ had a shot to get out of it and we didn't take advantage of that?!"

"Luke! It's a hundred and twenty-five year tradition!" Lorelai reminds him.

"It's always been the _thing_ to do on Christmas Eve-Eve!" Rory adds.

Luke sighs, "Whatever. I'll be swamped at the diner all day, which is great for my business, horrible for my sanity. Anyways, if you need _anything_ call me, and I'll be home in minutes. I've already timed myself getting from the diner to the house and the house to the hospital and I got the whole transition down to 29 minutes, 19 seconds--and that's with heavy traffic."

Lorelai grins at his ridiculousness, "Wow, look at you, Mario Andretti."

"Hey, you'll be thanking me later," Luke retorts, "Remember, call me if anything changes."

"Yes, o' paranoid one," Lorelai says, giving him a salute before he groans and leaves the kitchen. "He's so cute, isn't he?"

Rory nods just to appease her, "Very adorable."

"Okay, so everything should be all ready to go for the carnival. I had Kirk set up the booth for me, so all we have to do is show up and look cute. Oh, and make sure Paul Anka understands his very important job," Lorelai says, leaning down to pat Paul Anka on the head, "You're going to be the cutest Doggy Swami ever, aren't you?"

Rory laughs, "I still don't understand how you landed on Doggy Swami?"

"It was just something my early morning, pregnancy-crazed brain cooked up," Lorelai says with a shrug, "It'll be a big hit, though. A fortune-telling dog? What's cuter than that?"

"Oh, probably nothing," Rory deadpans, taking her plate to the sink. "Listen, I have to go solve the Lane-Zack crisis before I can help you with the booth."

Lorelai cringes, "Oh, god. That still isn't over yet? J. Lo has been married and divorced three more times since those two started fighting."

"Yeah, I know. It's gotten completely out of hand at this point. Wish me luck!" Rory says, bounding out of the kitchen. Lorelai watches her go, and slowly pushes herself up from her seat, feeling a sharp pain in her lower back. She'd been feeling little twinges like this for days now, but assumed it was just false labor pains. She didn't tell Luke about them, knowing that he'd go into over-protective mode and force her to sit at home when she didn't need or want to be cooped up in the house. 

"What are you doing in there, kid?" Lorelai asks the mountainous swell underneath her bathrobe, "How about you stay inside of the cozy little home I made you for at least another day, so Mommy can enjoy the very fun and exciting Winter Carnival?" 

In response, Lorelai gets a swift kick to the ribs, and she groans, "You really are your father's daughter, aren't you?"

/

"Mom, I gotta say, I really underestimated you. This is a smashing concept."

Lorelai nods and grins, "I know! You people should never doubt me again." 

Rory pats the table, "Come on, Doggy Swami. Break's over," she orders, and Paul Anka jumps back up to his spot, donning a little turban and vest.

"He is really liking his hat," Lorelai says, dipping down to lean against the table on her elbows, tilting her hips to get a little relief from the contraction she was having. Rory eyes her nervously, "Well, it is very flattering. Hey, I can man this myself you know, if you want to leave? I mean, maybe you _should_ leave?"

Lorelai shakes her head, "I'm _totally_ fine. Nothing is a better distraction from labor than a dog in a turban, telling fortunes."

It was just before 4 o'clock in the afternoon when Lorelai felt her first real contraction. She was just about to meet Rory at the booth when it happened, causing her to drop the meatball sandwich from Al's she was eating on the ground, which, in return brought on a case of mild tears. Her contractions were pretty spaced apart, so Lorelai figured hanging out at the carnival for a while would be a nice distraction.

Rory glances at the diner, and it was still swamped. "Are you _sure_ you don't want me to get Luke?"

"I'm positive, hon. I can't rush off to the hospital right now anyway, it's still too soon. And the minute I tell Luke, you and I both know he'll go all 'Father Knows Best' on me. So, for now I'm keeping track of these pesky little contractions, and I promise you, once they get closer together, I will leave," Lorelai says, rubbing the front of her belly.

Rory sighs, deciding to trust that her mother did in fact, know best. "Okay, but just because I took that child development class last year, does not mean I will be delivering any babies here tonight."

Lorelai grins and gives her daughter's shoulder a squeeze, "Wouldn't think of it, sweets." She straightens up as her contraction passed, fixing her hair before cupping her hands over her mouth in a makeshift megaphone, "Come see the Amazing Doggy Swami. Discover your future..."

"If you dare," Rory adds.

"It's silly!"

"And fun!"

Lorelai nods, giving the tarot card reader at the booth across from them a pointed stare, "And real! Very, very _real_."

A half hour later, Luke approaches the booth, shaking his head as soon as he sees Paul Anka in his ridiculous costume. Rory waves him over, "Luke! Do you want Doggy Swami to read your fortune?"

He knows he's not going to get out of it, no matter his answer and he nods unenthusiastically. Luke looks at Lorelai and studies her carefully. There was definitely something different about her. Her cheeks were more flushed than normal, and she gave him a small smile instead of greeting him in her typical overly chipper way. 

"Ready?" Rory asks. 

"Oh, I couldn't possibly be any more ready," Luke deadpans. 

Lorelai gives the wheel a spin and Paul Anka stops it with his paw. "The Swami has chosen!" Rory exclaims, while Lorelai picks up the piece of paper, slowly unfolding it before meeting Luke's gaze. Instead of reading the actual fortune she had written on the paper, Lorelai decides to try something else. 

"You are going to become a father very, _very_ soon..." she says softly, looking at Luke with sparkling eyes. 

He nods as if it was obvious, "Well, yeah..." Luke trails, starting to piece things together, "Wait... I am? I am?! Are you...?"

Lorelai nods, "Contractions are coming about every eleven minutes, Butch."

Luke looks like he's going to pass out, "Every eleven?! And you're still _here?!_ Why didn't you come and get me?!" he rants.

"Honey! Breathe," Lorelai coaches, feeling a little bit like they've flipped roles. "I just didn't want to freak you out. I've been fine--I mean, it is starting to hurt a little bit more now, but it's still way too soon to go to the hospital, trust me."

Luke breathes a cleansing sigh, holding onto her arm for support, "Yeah. Yeah, you're right... sorry. I'm fine, I'm fine. Calm, cool, collected," he says weakly, making both Lorelai and Rory giggle.

After torturing Luke enough, Lorelai agrees to head back home with him, and Rory was more than happy to volunteer to stay at the carnival with Paul Anka. They enter the house and Lorelai stops at the sofa, gripping the back of it, while she breathed through a painful contraction. Luke comes up behind her and starts rubbing her lower back, an attempt to help her find some relief. "How does that feel?"

"Good... a little harder would be great," she says, and then half laughs in spite of herself, "Ha. Dirty..."

Luke rolls his eyes fondly, "At least you haven't lost your sense of humor."

She straightens back up and breathes a cleansing sigh, "Whew. What time is it?"

"Six fifty-seven," Luke says, following Lorelai into the kitchen. She jots down the time on a piece of paper that was on the counter, "Okay, I'm gonna go change clothes, and then we could maybe, watch a movie or something?"

Luke nods, his hands on his hips, "Okay, sure. A movie... yeah, sure, whatever you want to do." 

Lorelai can tell he's still on edge so she moves toward him, and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tender kiss. They were having a baby. Sometime within the next 24 hours, (or less, she hoped and prayed) they'd be a family of four-- _five,_ including Paul Anka.

"Hey. We're having a baby," Lorelai whispers, misty-eyed. 

Luke finds himself pushing aside his anxiousness for a moment, and is once again reminded of how much he wanted this. A family with Lorelai. They were going to have the whole package. He cups her face in his hands, placing a long kiss to her forehead, "We're having a baby," he repeats.

"Luke, I'm a little scared..."

And it was those five words that made Luke snap out of his nervous new father act and realize that he needed to be Lorelai's rock right now. It was rare that she was anything but the confident, assured woman Luke grew to know and love, so when she did express the opposite, Luke knew to take it seriously.

He strokes her cheekbone with his thumb, his other hand resting on her belly, "You can do this, Lorelai. Everything is going to be just fine. You're the strongest woman I know," he says, staring into her beautiful blue eyes. 

"Really?" she murmurs, holding back her nervous, yet happy tears.

Luke nods, "Absolutely."

Lorelai pecks a few gentle kisses to his lips before patting his chest, "Alright, I'm gonna go change before another one hits."

"I'll bring the bags out to the truck. Holler if you need anything," he says, rubbing her back softly before going to the hall closet.

He retrieves the bags that they'd packed weeks ago, and slings Lorelai's hospital bag over his shoulder and lifts the handle on her suitcase, marveling over the amount of clothes she insisted on packing. The last thing he picks up is the diaper bag, which Lorelai had picked out specifically for him. It wasn't one of those stereotypical flowery ones with little ducks on it, but a neutral gray color, that Lorelai claimed had a nice 'manly' flair to it, even though it still just looked like a big purse to Luke. But, he knows he'd carry a hot-pink bag with kittens all over it if Lorelai wanted him to, so really the bag didn't matter in the long run, although he did appreciate the sentiment. 

Lorelai changed into her black leggings, stopping to stare at her bare belly in the mirror. She runs her hands over the swell, trying to remember what she looked like without it. "I can't wait to meet you, pretty girl," Lorelai softly states, feeling little nudges against her palms. She pulls a white tank top over her bump, and slips her arms into the beloved blue flannel she'd swiped from Luke ages ago.

As she's grabbing some makeup and miscellaneous items out of the bathroom, another contraction hits, causing her to double over the sink. "Wow...ouch..." she breathes out, bracing the counter as Luke wanders into the bedroom, "Lorelai?"

"In here..." she moans, and Luke darts into their bathroom. He runs his hands across her lower back, feeling her tense muscles, "Breathe through it, you're doing so good," he says soothingly.

"I forgot how much these early ones can hurt," she whimpers, straightening back up again. "What time is it, hon?"

Luke continues rubbing her back with one hand, and glances at his watch, "Seven-o-eight. Do you need anything? Are you hungry at all?"

She shakes her head, "No. I'm good for now. Let's go watch a movie, I need a distraction."

They go back downstairs and Lorelai digs through her collection of movies, "Oh! Okay, I think this one is incredibly fitting for the moment," she says, holding up a copy of _Look Who's Talking._

Luke gives her an amused stare, "So you want to take your mind off of giving birth, by watching a corny 80's rom-com where someone else gives birth?"

"Luke, come on. This movie has it all. I mean, what other show has a talking baby voiced by Bruce Willis?" Lorelai argues, pushing the VHS in the slot. She waddles over to the couch, and Luke puts a hand on her back to help lower her down. "Yeah, I can't argue with that," he deadpans.

Luke finds it incredible that Lorelai can be distracted by the movie; he's positive that hypnosis wouldn't take his mind off the fact that she was in labor. Every ten minutes or so, she'd tuck forward in a ball, and Luke would rub her back, while she steadily breathed through contraction after contraction. Rory arrived home with Paul Anka a little over halfway through the movie, the canine immediately running into the living room to find Lorelai. 

"Well hello, Doggy Swami," she says, petting his head. "How'd it go?"

Rory entered the living room behind the dog and grins, "Paul Anka was the star of the carnival. We had to recruit Lane to help out, because so many people wanted to take pictures with him," she laughs, "He was really liking his newfound stardom."

"You're living up to your name, aren't you, boy?" Lorelai coos, running her hand through his fur. "Thanks for staying, sweets." She suddenly reaches out to grab the armrest of the couch, grimacing in pain. "Ow... christ," she cries, "They're coming faster."

Rory watches anxiously, shifting her weight from foot to foot. In all her years of life, Rory rarely remembers a time when Lorelai was sick, or in serious pain. The time her mother fractured her leg during a yoga class was one of the only moments that stood out in Rory's mind.

After another thirty seconds, Lorelai tucks her hair back behind her ears and sits up, breathing a heavy sigh, "I think my water just broke."

Once she uttered that statement, everything seemed to move at lightening speed. Lorelai called Dr. Price back, letting her know that she and Luke were on their way in. Babette was going to feed and check on Paul Anka for them, so Rory ran next door to let her know, and Babette gleefully said she'd also spread the word that Baby Danes was coming. Luke just tried to remember to breathe himself, and triple-checked that they had packed everything they needed. 

"Oh my god, oh my god--I need drugs," Lorelai pants, "Drive faster!"

Luke wishes their was something, _anything_ he could do to ease her pain. He offers her his hand and she gratefully takes it, gripping it with a level of strength Luke didn't even know Lorelai was capable of. "We're almost there, just a few more minutes."

They reach the Hartford Hospital in record time, something Luke is pretty damn proud of himself for. Luckily, they didn't have to travel through rush hour, or the snow storm that Lorelai kept insisting was going to happen. Rory pulls into the parking lot next to the truck, "Nice driving, Double-O-Seven."

Luke smirks at the Bond reference, and goes around to help Lorelai out of the truck, "Are you kidding me? It felt agonizingly _slow_ ," Lorelai laments, cradling her stomach with both arms. Rory helps Luke with the bags, and the three of them enter through the double doors. 

"Wow. This is really happening. I'm having a baby," Lorelai suddenly blurts out, the realization that the next time they would be walking through these doors, it would be to leave with a tiny bundle named Scout Danes.

"The contractions weren't enough of a clue?" Rory jokes to break the tension and Lorelai playfully elbows her in the side, "You know what I mean. This is the last time it'll ever be just the three of us."

Rory really hadn't given much thought to that detail. It had been her and Lorelai for so long, it was weird to think about this little stranger changing their family dynamic. Maybe if Rory had been younger, she'd have been jealous to no longer have her mother's full and complete attention, but she was truly excited to have another Gilmore girl running around in the world. 

Lorelai gets admitted to her room and tries to get comfortable, despite feeling like she was going to split in two. Rory called everyone on Lorelai's list to tell them the news, pausing before calling the next number, "Uh, mom? Do you want me to call grandma and grandpa?"

Lorelai was sitting on a birthing ball, her arms leaning on Luke's thighs, who sat on the hospital bed in front of her. She doesn't answer Rory, but instead groans and drops her head against Luke's torso. 

"I don't know..." she murmurs. Luke continues massaging her back and shoulders and he leans down to kiss the top of her head. "You're doing so good, Lorelai. Almost done with this one," he says softly, keeping an eye on the machine that was reading every contraction.

"You can call them... I guess," she says pathetically, thinking back to the note she left her parents the last time she was in this position. She figured they should at least be informed that their new granddaughter was on her way into the world. 

Rory nods and steps out into the hallway, purposely leaving Lorelai and Luke to have some alone time. "When are they coming with the drugs? They didn't forget about me, right?! I swear to god, if that lady giving birth to twins gets them before me, I'll sue. I don't care that she's having two babies, she checked in _after_ me!" 

Luke runs his hand through her hair, giving her a soft smile, "They didn't forget. Dr. Price said she's coming back with the anesthesiologist."

She meets his gaze and puckers her lips for a kiss, which he happily gives her. "This is nice. I mean, the pain sure isn't, but having you here is. I can't believe I did this alone when Rory was born."

He runs his hands over her back soothingly, "There's no where I'd rather be," Luke genuinely states, "It just goes to show how strong you are. You're amazing, Lorelai."

"Thanks," she says quietly, the overwhelm starting to get to her in the form of tears, "I really love you, a lot."

Luke runs his thumb over her cheek to wipe away the tears, "That's ironic, because I love you a lot, too," he says with a smile. 

They're interrupted by Dr. Price knocking on the door, and entering with the anesthesiologist and a nurse. "Hello! Are we still wanting to get that epidural?"

Lorelai shoots her a painfully obvious look, "Did Jude Law cheat on Sienna Miller with their nanny?"

Dr. Price nudges the anesthesiologist, "Now you see why she's my favorite patient," she tells him with a smirk. "Okay, Lorelai, let's check how far along you are, and then we'll get that epidural in."

Lorelai lays back down, sticking her legs through the stirrups at the end of the bed. She reaches for Luke's hand, wanting him close at all times. It was a total one-eighty from what Lorelai prepared him for. Luke fully expected a lot of yelling and ice-chip pelting from his fiancé, but instead she craved having him next to her. 

Dr. Price informs Lorelai that she's over six centimeters dilated and they start prepping her for the epidural. After the epidural is administered, Lorelai looks up at the anesthesiologist with awe, "Wow, you've got one good shot there, pal."

He chuckles and moves the IV pole that was holding the medication closer to the bed, "Why, thank you. You should start feeling it in about ten minutes or so. Being we gave you the 'walking epidural' you'll still have some feeling and you'll be able to move around a bit, but make sure someone is always with you if you do."

Lorelai nods, "Aye, aye captain."

They keep an eye on her until the drug takes effect, and the three medical personnel leave the room, meeting Rory in the hall. They tell her she can go back in if she wants and Rory enters with caution, nervously standing at the foot of Lorelai's bed, "Hey, feeling any better?"

"Mmhmm," she hums happily, "This stuff is magic."

"It's so magical, she's got a crush on the anesthesiologist," Luke teases from the recliner, where he was filling out hospital paperwork. 

Lorelai shrugs, "Hey, you can't blame a girl for having a special place in her heart for a man with good drugs."

The tension Rory was carrying seemed to dissipate with each witty quip. "Whatever happened to 'Just Say No?'" 

"Whoever wrote that was not taking us laboring mothers into consideration," Lorelai retorts, flipping channels on the TV. 

Rory sits down on the edge of the bed, clasping her hands in her lap. "Well, I got a hold of grandma and grandpa."

"And?"

"They're on their way over," Rory quickly spits out, hoping her mother wouldn't go into meltdown mode. 

Lorelai drops her head back into the pillows with a 'Agh!' She runs her hands over her temples, breathing a sigh of frustration, "Why? Why are they coming here _now?!_ It's almost eleven o'clock! I'm not going to have her until early tomorrow morning," she laments, "Did you tell them that?"

Rory sighs, "I told them exactly what was going on. Grandma was the one who insisted on coming over right away."

"Okay, fine. Just, under no circumstance does she come into the delivery room with Luke and I. Promise?" Lorelai looks to both of them and they nod. "Just you, me, and Scout," Luke tells her, "Rory?"

"Oh, no. I'll be cheering for you from the safety of the waiting room," she says quickly. As much as she loved her mother, she knew this was a special moment that should just be between her and Luke. Plus, the idea of seeing the 'miracle of birth' live, was not something she was too keen on. 

Lorelai grins, "Rory's too old-school for us. She'll be in the waiting room smoking a cigar and pacing the halls, waiting for the good news."

Her daughter shrugs, "It's true. I guess I'll have to smoke the cigar we know Grandpa is gonna try to give to Luke."

"Go for it," Luke tells her, making a disgusted face. 

There's a knock on the door, and Lorelai wonders if it's her parents. "Come on in," she says tentatively, watching as the door swung open, revealing Richard and Emily, the later of whom was carrying a giant arrangement of three dozen pink roses.

"Whoa, what'd you do? Raid the 24-hour flower shop?" Lorelai quips. 

Emily walks over to the window, placing the vase in the sill, "I have my ways," she says, "Well, you aren't cussing like a sailor on leave, so I presume things are going well?"

Lorelai tries to surpress her smile, but fails. "Drugs have been administered, if that's what you want to know. Hi, dad."

"Hello, Lorelai. Hi, Luke. Rory," Richard says, a bright smile on his face. "Luke, care to take a walk?"

Luke glances skeptically at Lorelai, and slowly rises from the recliner, "Yeah, sure. Are you okay for a little bit?" he asks her. She nods, wondering if her father is going to pester Luke about his insurance coverage, or consolidating assets, or setting up a trust fund for the baby. He leans down to give her a kiss before he goes and Lorelai whispers in his ear, "Good luck..."

He gives her a wide-eyed nod, apparently thinking the same thing that Lorelai was. The two men exit the room, leaving Emily alone with Lorelai and Rory. The silence is so uncomfortable, Lorelai has no choice but to fill it, "So, how 'bout them Yankees?"

"Lorelai, I would like to say something," Emily blurts out, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Rory and Lorelai look at each other briefly, before Lorelai turns to her mother, "Okay... sure. Go for it."

Emily clasps her hands in her lap, as she steels herself with a deep breath, "I would like to," she pauses, clearing her throat, "... _apologize_ for what happened on Thanksgiving. I overreacted and I said things I did not mean. Although, I think it is unwise and a huge risk to entrust Christopher with something as big as paying for Yale tuition, he is Rory's father and he should be helping you. I hope you will see it in your hearts to forgive me."

Lorelai isn't sure if it's because she's positive her mother has never apologized to anyone about anything in her life, or that she's clearly rehearsed her apology several times, but either way, she sits in utter shock. Rory is in the same state, staring between her mother and grandmother without the ability to form a sentence.

Emily sighs, "Well, go ahead. I know you're have some quippy little flip remark already formed in your head, so out with it, Lorelai."

But there was no quip. For once, Lorelai didn't have one. "No, mom... thank you," Lorelai simply says, looking to Rory. "It's okay, Grandma," she nods, "Thanks."

Clearly, Emily wasn't expecting the girls to be so receptive of her apology so quickly, because she, for once in her life, doesn't know what to say. She just nods, collecting herself before speaking again. "I hope we can still continue Friday Night Dinners after the baby is born."

Lorelai smiles, "Where else would I find such quality entertainment, mom?"

Emily rolls her eyes, but Lorelai can see a hint of playfulness in her expression, "And, there she is."

/

While Emily was getting her apology in, Richard wanted to have a man-to-man talk with Luke. "You seem very calm, Luke. I'm impressed. I remember when Emily was giving birth to Lorelai, I was a wreck. Lorelai came over a week late, and Emily was absolutely miserable. I was quite nervous to become a father, too."

Luke nods, sitting across from him in the waiting room, "I think I'm just doing a good job of hiding it," he admits, with a half-laugh. "After Lorelai said she was scared, I don't know, something changed. I knew I had to step up and be her rock."

"You've been her rock for a long time," Richard points out. Luke meets his future father-in-law's gaze, "Can I ask you something?"

Richard nods, "Anything."

"I, uh, I didn't expect to propose to Lorelai when I did, otherwise I'd have definitely asked for your blessing first," Luke starts, "I know, it's an old-fashioned thing, but I think it's only right that I do it. Better late than never, right?" he laughs nervously. Luke doubts he'll ever get over his fear of Mr. Gilmore, but their relationship had gotten significantly better since the disastrous golf game at the country club.

Richard studies him intently, which only makes Luke sweat harder. He finally removes his glasses, tapping his fingers against the armrest of the chair. "You're a good man, Luke. You make my daughter very happy, and that's all a father wants for their daughter. You'll learn that very soon. With that being said, she's still my little girl, Luke. Promise me, that you will always take care of her?"

Luke nods, thinking about how Scout isn't even born yet and he already feels incredibly protective of her. "Absolutely, Richard. You have my word."

The older man reaches his hand out and Luke shakes it firmly. "Good. I look forward to having you as my son-in-law."

Luke smiles, feeling himself relax, "Like-wise."

"And this," he pulls an envelope out of his jacket pocket, "Is for my new granddaughter."

Luke takes the envelope, sliding out the contents. It was a trust fund for the baby, an amount that made Luke's eyes practically fall out of his head, "Richard... this is too much," he starts, but the older man waves him off. 

"I insist. We did the same thing for Rory, and we intend to do it for any other grandchildren that may come along," he says, firmly but gently. 

Luke sighs, running his hand along the back of his neck, "Wow, I uh, I don't know what to say except 'thank-you.' That's incredibly generous of you both," he stammers, still in disbelief.

"You're welcome. We were happy to do it. Now, I'm sure you want to get back to Lorelai. Emily wanted to apologize to the girls for the misunderstanding that happened at Thanksgiving. I, for one, had a more enjoyable holiday than I've had in years," Richard says warmly.

"Me too," Luke said, giving him a genuine smile. 

When the two men reach Lorelai's room, Luke pushes open the door and stumbles upon a scene he never thought he'd see. Emily was sitting behind Lorelai, rubbing her back, while Lorelai hunched over, the pain evident on her face. "Hey, what's going on?" 

Lorelai looks up at him weakly, "It hurts. It really hurts, Luke. I think something's happening... I think she wants out, like _now_." 

Rory stands up quickly, eager to leave the room after hearing that, and grabs Richard's arm, "Uh, Grandpa and I will go find Dr. Price."

Emily gets up to let Luke take her place behind Lorelai and tentatively sits on the edge of the bed, watching the couple with intrigue. Luke runs his hand along Lorelai's back, softly telling her she was doing great, and it'd be over soon. This was the first time Emily was seeing this side of him, and she'd be lying if she didn't notice how incredibly sweet he was with her daughter.

"Do you need anything, Lorelai?" she finally settles on asking her.

Lorelai sits up a bit more as the hard contraction passed, "Just this baby out of my body," she groans, meeting Emily's gaze. "Hey, mom," she says, her expression softening, "Thanks."

Emily nods, giving Lorelai's hand a comforting squeeze, as Dr. Price and a nurse enter the room, "Everything's going to be alright, Lorelai."

Lorelai expected her mother to cause her more stress, by passing several judgements onto her about the 'proper way to give birth' and so on, but instead when Lorelai started whimpering about bad back pain, Emily simply told her to lean forward and she began running her hands soothingly over Lorelai's back. There were no snarky comments, no ulterior motives, it was just Emily trying to make her daughter feel better without an ounce of selfishness. And that simple gesture really meant something to Lorelai.

/

"I can't do it, Luke! I _can't_ push anymore!" Lorelai tearfully states, flopping back down against the pillows. 

She'd been brought to the delivery room a half hour prior and started pushing almost immediately. Although she already knew it before, Lorelai could say with certainty that Luke was the definition of 'knight in shining armor.' He was so utterly and completely _there_ for her. Giving her water, wiping the sweat off her forehead with a cool cloth, letting her crush his hand to oblivion with every push she gave, and especially his sweet words of encouragement that were getting her through the excruciating pain. 

"Yes, you can do it, Lorelai. You're almost there," he encourages, stroking her hair. 

Dr. Price nods, "Come on, Lorelai. You can do it. You gotta give me a really big push here."

Lorelai sighs deeply and bares down on another contraction, pushing as hard as she could, a string of profanities leaving her mouth. Dr. Price smirks, "Attagirl! She's crowning, if you want to see, Luke."

He nods, his hand still connected with Lorelai's and he glances down between his fiancé's legs and his eyes grow wide, " _Wow,_ " he gasps, not quite prepared for seeing all _that_. "Wow. She's... she's right there..." he breathes, almost in disbelief. It certainly wasn't the most pleasant of sights, but god, was Luke happy. 

"Here come her shoulders, give me a another big push Lorelai," Dr. Price instructs. 

"Luke," Lorelai cries, "I want her out... I want her out!" 

Luke feels his own tears start to surface; a culmination of seeing his daughter come into the world, and seeing Lorelai in an insufferable amount of pain. "She's almost here," he manages to choke out, "We're so close to meeting her."

Lorelai nods, the tears flowing steadily while she pushed. "You're doing so great, Lorelai. So close," Dr. Price says, looking to her nurse, "Suction." 

Finally, Lorelai feels a release of pressure so cathartic, she knew this was it. And it certainly was. "There she is, mom and dad. Congratulations!" Dr. Price said with a wide smile, holding up Scout so Lorelai could see her better. The newborn made her presence known by trying out her lungs, which were clearly working well.

"Luke... she's _here_. She's really here," Lorelai murmurs through tears, "Hi, baby girl..." she coos, as Dr. Price sets the wriggling infant on Lorelai's chest. Luke stares in total awe at the life that he and Lorelai had created. Even without much clean up, Luke was certain he'd never seen a more perfect baby than his daughter.

"Do you want to cut the cord, Dad?" Dr. Price asks Luke who nods, trying to pull himself together, but failing. She instructs him where to cut, and then a nurse starts cleaning off the baby. Luke takes his eyes off Scout long enough to lean down and kiss Lorelai, "You were amazing."

She smiles against his lips, "So were you." Lorelai looks down at Scout again, "Can you believe we made her?" 

Luke shakes his head, "Best thing to ever come out of a night in New York," he says with a wink, running his index finger over Scout's tiny fist. The newborn takes his finger in her grasp, making both her parents' hearts swell.

"Aw, look at that. You're already best friends," Lorelai coos, kissing her daughter's forehead.

After lots of insisting from Lorelai that she would be perfectly fine alone for the final stage of childbirth, Luke goes with the baby for her tests and clean-up. As the nurses doted on his daughter, he tried to figure out who Scout looked more like. She definitely had Lorelai's nose and mouth, but her dusty-blue eyes seemed to be a combination of the two of them. The nurse who was running a little brush through the wisps of light brown hair on the baby's head, turns to Luke, "She's adorable. I mean, I see a _lot_ of newborns and she came out ready for a photoshoot."

Luke smiles with all the pride of a new father, "Thanks. We think she's pretty great so far."

"Have you and your wife picked out a name?" 

He's caught off guard when the nurse referred to Lorelai as his wife. It sounded so right, he almost didn't even think about the fact that they weren't married yet. Instead of correcting her, Luke simply nods, "Yeah, we have. This is Scout Caroline Danes." 

The nurse starts swaddling the newborn and smiles, "Aw, pretty. Unique, too." 

It was an easy choice for Luke and Lorelai on their daughter's middle name. Caroline was Luke's mother's name, and ironically, Emily's middle name.

"Alright, all clean, swaddled, and ready to head back to mom," the nurse says. "Want to take her?"

Luke nods, carefully taking Scout from her. He marveled at how tiny she looked in his arms, yet it felt completely natural to have her nestled into the crook of his arm. He makes his way back to Lorelai's room and pushes open the door. Lorelai fluttered her eyes open as he entered, a huge smile appearing on her face, "Hey... wow, they let you carry her all the way back here by yourself? Someone clearly got an A+ in dad school."

He gives her a bashful smile, "I was Valedictorian," he quips, walking over to Lorelai, and sitting down next to her, "How'd everything in here go?"

Lorelai can't get enough of seeing Luke hold their baby. "Oh, it was just fine. No problems, no eating of the placenta, so you don't have to worry about that anymore," she smirks, and he rolls his eyes. "You look _very_ good with her, by the way. But, I already knew you would."

"She makes me look good," he grins, pressing a kiss to the side of Lorelai's head. "You probably want her back, huh?"

"Gimme," Lorelai says playfully, and Luke puts Scout in Lorelai's waiting arms, just as she's waking up. "Hi, pretty girl. Do you remember me? I know, I know, I'm so much more beautiful on the outside, you're speechless."

Luke chuckles, softly running his finger on Scout's cheek, "She's amazing, Lorelai. God, I love her so much."

Lorelai turns to look at him, "I know. It's crazy isn't it? How you can fall in love with someone so completely in an instant?"

He nods, turning his gaze back to Scout, "You do realize what day it is, right?"

"Well, yesterday was the 23rd, so..." Lorelai gasps, "It's Christmas Eve! Was she born after midnight?"

"Yep. Born at 12:31. Seven pounds, two ounces. Twenty inches long. Passed all her tests with flying colors," Luke rattles off, informing Lorelai of the details she missed. 

She grins, "Good job, Scout! Already trying to compete with your big sister, huh?"

"Speaking of whom," Luke starts, nodding toward the door, "I'm sure she's patiently waiting."

Lorelai nods, "Yeah, go get her."

He kisses Lorelai and leans over to kiss Scout's forehead before leaving to get Rory. He walked into the quiet waiting room, to find Rory curled up on a couch, her jacket draped over her as a makeshift blanket. Luke carefully nudges her shoulder, "Rory..."

She groans a little and cracks open an eye, "Luke? Oh my god, is she here?"

Luke can't stop the smile from spreading across his face, "She sure is. Want to come meet her?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I do," Rory says, swinging her legs off the couch, "What time is it, anyway?"

"Almost two o'clock in the morning. Did your grandparents head out?"

Rory nods, "Yeah, I told them they might as well go home and get some sleep. But, Grandma said to call her the minute mom is ready for guests."

Luke leads her down the hallway, "That sounds about right."

The two of them walk into Lorelai's room and she lights up, "Hello, first born!" she says in a hushed voice, "Come over here."

Rory walks over to the bed, sitting next to her mother, "Oh, wow! She's beautiful, Mom. Luke. I'm so happy for you guys," Rory says genuinely, bringing her gaze back to Scout. "Hi, little sister."

Lorelai pokes Rory's arm with her free hand, "You wanna hold her?"

A wave of panic crosses over Rory's face, "Oh, I don't know..." she trails. The truth was that Rory had never held a baby before. The first time she held Davey he was over two years old. The few times she had babysit, the kids had all been significantly older. 

"Don't be nervous, you got this. She's all wrapped up like a burrito, so it's easy," Lorelai says, shifting the baby into Rory's arms, "Make sure you support her head. See? There you go. Easy."

Rory breathes a sigh of relief when the newborn doesn't start crying. Lorelai finds herself growing emotional as she watches her two daughters meet for the first time. "She's so tiny. I can't believe we all start out this small," Rory muses, running her index finger along Scout's cheek. 

Lorelai snorts, "She might look small, but she did not _feel_ small."

Rory shoots her a sympathetic look, "How are you feeling? You must be exhausted."

"Everything below my waist feels like a nuclear war zone," Lorelai bluntly admits. "I am, sweets. But, it's way more fun to look at my two pretty babies," she says as she nuzzles her nose into Rory's cheek. "And my pretty baby daddy," she adds, giving Luke's hand a squeeze. 

"I'll let that slide--this time," he grins, kissing Lorelai's forehead. 

After several pictures had been taken, Rory decides she better head out so they can all get some sleep. A nurse came in to check on Lorelai, and when Scout started to fuss, she suggested to try feeding her again. "She only latched on for a minute or so before, and I don't think she got much," Lorelai says, holding Scout to her chest. It took a few attempts, but the newborn finally latched on and began sucking eagerly. 

"Now you're starting to act like a real Gilmore girl," Lorelai coos, shooting Luke a victorious smirk. "God help us all," he replies, turning his attention back to Scout.

Lorelai nudges his side, "Hey, Butch. My eyes are up here."

Luke's face turns red and he rolls his eyes, "I was looking at _her_."

"Ah-huh, that's what they all say," she teases. "You know, you've come a long way since that time you wanted me to tell a woman to stop breastfeeding in the diner."

Luke groans. He was never going to live down that story. "I still can't believe I was that big of a jerk," he says, shaking his head. "This is... really... beautiful," he says, trying to find the words.

Lorelai smiles, turning her head so she could give him a kiss, "You're very sweet, Burger Boy."

After Scout finishes nursing, Lorelai burps her, and places the newborn on her thighs, so she's facing them. "Okay, now for the birthday story."

Luke reaches his arm around Lorelai so she can nestle into him, "Ah, yes. The infamous birthday story."

"Hey! It's tradition. And you know how much I love tradition."

He smiles, raising his free hand in surrender, "Alright, alright. Let's hear it."

Lorelai grins, resting a hand on Scout's tummy. "Feel free to chime in whenever you want."

"Who? Me or Scout?" Luke quips, making Lorelai laugh. "I guess both of you, although, something tells me the kid won't have much to say."

"Thanks for the clarification."

Lorelai turns her attention back to Scout, "Okay, so it's Christmas Eve-Eve in Stars Hollow..." she starts, trying to paint a vivid picture, "And that means every year there is a big Winter Carnival."

"Unfortunately," Luke mutters. Lorelai gives him a pointed stare, "Sssh!"

"I thought you said I could chime in!"

"Only if it _adds_ to the story value!" she huffs, "Alright, back to the story. Now, it all started when mommy went to Al's to get a meatball sandwich that very afternoon..."


	22. The One With All the Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! Sorry this took me _so_ long to get posted. I swear, every time I sat down to write, something would come up! I'll try to be more consistent with getting a new chapter up every week. Thanks again for all of the lovely comments and kudos on this work.
> 
> xx

Lorelai slowly awakens to little whimpering noises coming from the bassinet next to her. She carefully rolls over, feeling the postpartum soreness radiate through her entire body. Although the pain seems to dissipate when she sees her sweet newborn. "Hi, pretty girl," she says softly, "Did you have a good sleep?"

She scoops up her daughter, holding the baby against her chest. Scout curls into her, breathing a content sigh before falling back asleep. "You're snoozy, huh?" she coos, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Lorelai notices the empty couch where Luke had slept and frowns, "Did Daddy run off with a pretty nurse already?" she quips, just as the door swings open revealing Luke carrying a pizza box.

"Hey, beautiful," he says, sitting down on the edge of her bed, "Thought you might enjoy this..."

Lorelai flips open the pizza box with her free hand and gasps, "You got me a breakfast pizza?!"

He smiles and nods, "Yeah, I figured you might enjoy this more than hospital food."

She grins, holding her hand over her heart with a swoon, "God, I love you. You are the perfect man. Let me have your baby."

"If I remember right, you already did that," he says, looking at Scout with a smile, "Want me to take her?"

Lorelai nods, "Sure. I thought she might be hungry, but I guess she just wanted some snuggles."

"Well, _that_ I can do," Luke smiles, carefully taking Scout from her arms. Lorelai watches the two of them with adoration. Seeing Luke take on the role of 'Dad' so naturally, made her fall in love with him even more. And he sure looked good doing it.

"You know, if I would have known how sexy you looked holding a baby, I'd have let you knock me up years ago," she says bluntly, biting into a slice of pizza.

Luke turns about three shades of red, "Very eloquent." 

She smirks and peers down at Scout who was now staring up at Luke, "God, she's cute. We make pretty babies, Butch."

"Yeah, we do," Luke says dreamily. "She looks like you."

Lorelai studies their daughter intently, "You think so?"

He nods, "Definitely. She's gonna be a miniature version of her beautiful mom."

Lorelai slowly leans forward, her lips meeting his. He hums against her lips, a little moan escaping and she smirks, "It's gonna be a long six weeks, isn't it, buddy?"

"It _is,_ but you know I'll wait as long as you need me too," he says genuinely.

She runs her thumb against his scruff, staring lovingly into his eyes. Lorelai didn't know it was possible to love someone so wholly that wasn't her own child before Luke. Having Rory didn't make Lorelai's feelings for Christopher grow. Maybe it was because she was so young, or because Chris had little responsibility to be an involved father, but this time around it was so different. The minute Scout was born, Lorelai felt her love for Luke escalate to an entirely new level she didn't even think was possible. They're broken out of their little bubble by a knock on the door, and Lorelai assumed it could only be her parents, who were not so patiently waiting to meet their granddaughter.

"Come in, only if you have presents!" she shouts, giving Luke a wink. 

Sure enough, her speculation was correct, and Emily and Richard poked their heads into the room. "I'm shocked you two waited this long before storming the place," Lorelai says with a smirk. 

Emily sighs, "Well, we would have stayed around last night, but Rory insisted we go home and sleep."

"My, that granddaughter of yours, shame on her for being so worried about your health and wellbeing," Lorelai quips, "Now, come over here and meet the cutest baby of 2005."

"Oh, she's darling," Emily murmurs, peering over Luke's shoulder. "Isn't she just darling, Richard?"

He nods, joining his wife behind Luke, a proud smile taking over his face, "That she is."

Lorelai watches her parents with fascination. It was incredible how a baby could soften the two of them. She'd have to keep that in mind the next time she needed a buffer. "Mom, I know you're dying to hold her, but you'll have to fight Luke to give her up."

Luke blushes, passing Scout over to Emily's waiting arms, "As if _someone_ didn't need to be bribed to hand her over to the nurse earlier..." 

Lorelai sticks her lip out in a pout, "Hey, she came painfully bursting out of _my_ body, I think I have first dibs on any and all holding."

"Just be grateful she doesn't have a big head like you did," Emily bemoans.

Lorelai groans audibly, "Oh my god! Do we have to constantly bring up that very sensitive topic?!"

Emily fights the smirk threatening to spill across her face, "Well, it's the truth. Now, do you have a name for my granddaughter?"

Lorelai shoots Luke a knowing smile, before turning back to her mother. "We sure do. Meet Scout--"

"-- _Scout?!"_ Emily cuts her off in disbelief, "You named her--" 

"--Scout Caroline Danes," Lorelai finally finishes, the reaction from her mother exactly what she was expecting. The look of disbelief on Emily's face slowly fades into a soft smile, when she hears her granddaughter's full name.

Richard smiles fondly, "Took a bit of inspiration from Harper Lee?"

"Well, I'm sure you can probably guess, but Rory was the one who came up with it. She was home writing an article and threw it out, putting an end to Luke and my great name war," Lorelai explains. "Her middle name was easy. You and Luke's mom just happened to have the 'Caroline' thing in common."

"That's very sweet, Lorelai," Emily says, her face clearly displaying that she was touched. Richard taps her on the shoulder, "Alright, my turn."

Emily scoffs, "I've barely had her!"

"I'll take the baby, you give them their present," he counters, and she reluctantly passes his granddaughter over. 

Lorelai rubs her hands together in excitement, "A-ha! I knew it! Bring it on!" 

Emily takes a small box tied with a little red bow out of her purse and hands it to Lorelai. "Although, the two of you have already gotten the best Christmas present you could ever ask for, this is just a little something from your father and I."

Luke feels stressed already, knowing it was more than likely something totally over-the-top and unnecessary. Lorelai unties the bow and takes the lid of the box, her brow knitting in confusion, "Uh, a key? A key to what?"

Luke takes it from her hand, spying the logo stamped into the plastic casing, "This is a key to an _Audi_..." he says, feeling his pulse quicken.

Lorelai quickly looks between her mother and father, "Care to explain why is Luke holding a key to an Audi?"

"It's yours. Merry Christmas," Richard says casually, as if gifting someone a car--a luxury one at that, was completely normal. 

Lorelai shakes her head, "Wait, wait, wait. Please, tell me you didn't buy us a car. You said it was just a 'little something.' That is not a little something!"

Emily sighs, "You cannot be driving that unreliable Jeep around anymore, Lorelai. You have a small child. You and Luke needed something dependable now that you've started a family."

"With all due respect, this is just too much," Luke says desperately.

"Luke's right, we can't accept this," Lorelai says firmly. 

Richard and Emily exchange glances and he gives them a impish smile, "Well, that's fine. If you don't take it now, it'll just sit in the spare garage and you'll get it as a wedding gift instead."

Lorelai sighs loudly, flopping against her pillows and slinging an arm over her face. She's silent for several moments before she groans, "At _least_ tell me it's not red..."

/

The following morning Lorelai was cleared to leave the hospital, and she couldn't be more thrilled to spend Christmas day at home in Stars Hollow. After realizing there was no way around the Audi situation; if they didn't take it now, they'd be driving off in it on their honeymoon, so Lorelai threw all better judgement out the window and thanked her parents a thousand times for the lovely, yet ridiculously grandiose gift.

"Okay, it _is_ awfully pretty," Lorelai says, admiring the shiny, black vehicle from afar. Luke rolls his eyes at her impracticality for cars, "I still can't believe they gave us the thing in the first place."

Lorelai nods, opening the passenger door for Luke so he could put Scout's carseat in. The newborn was peacefully sleeping in it already, a good sign that the new parents would have a quiet trip home. 

"I know, I know. It's the Gilmore way. Be extravagant and refuse to take any and all extravagant gifts back, so help them god," Lorelai rattles off, going around to the back to put her bag in the trunk, "Oh, my god. Clearly, this specific model came with a trunk full of gifts curtesy of Babies R Us."

"Are you even surprised?" Luke calls out from the backseat. 

She closes the trunk, "Significantly less than when I found out _Freaks and Geeks_ was getting cancelled," Lorelai answers, going around to the opposite side of the Audi, peering down at Luke, "You got it under control there, Dad?"

"I'm just triple-checking to make sure everything is secure," he says, adjusting the buckle once more at Scout's chest. "Alright, she's not going anywhere."

Lorelai pecks a kiss to his lips and slides into the backseat next to Scout, "Ooo, this _is_ nice. There's just something about that new car smell," she dreamily states.

He gets behind the wheel, adjusting the mirrors and seat, "I'm driving an Audi... an Audi that we now _own_..." he mutters, still in disbelief. 

"Think about how sexy we'll look driving around in this baby," Lorelai says with a grin. 

Luke snorts, "That's exactly what I was thinking." 

Lorelai meets his gaze in the rearview mirror, giving him a wink before looking down at her daughter, "I can't wait to get home and show Scout our little corner of Stars Hollow," she pauses, "Think she'll like growing up here?"

"Oh, yeah. In our town full of nuts?" he starts, but Lorelai gives him a pouty look, so he softens, "She's going to love it."

Lorelai runs her index finger along Scout's cheek with a smile, "I think so. She's going to be one well-loved kid, that's for sure. We're probably gonna have townies camped out on our front lawn waiting to meet her."

Luke sighs, "Don't even start..."

When they pull into their driveway, Rory comes onto the porch with Paul Anka at her heels. Lorelai notices the confused look on her face and remembers that Rory knows nothing about the new ride. Luke gives her a wave and Rory's brows raise, realizing it was indeed them. 

Lorelai grins and opens the passenger door, "Hi, hon!"

"Um, I knew you were coming home with a baby, but this is definitely a surprise..." Rory says.

Luke exits from behind the wheel, "A surprise is one way to put it. Curtesy of your grandparents."

Rory nods, "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Rockefeller strike again."

Lorelai spies Paul Anka looking on timidly from the porch and she leans down, patting her knees, "Come here, buddy!" she calls him, and the canine wags his tail wildly before rushing toward her. Luke looks on with a smile, before going around to the back to take Scout's carseat out. "Did you miss me?" Lorelai squeals, as Paul Anka whines happily and licks her face in pure bliss that she was back home where she should be. 

"Okay, you guys have to explain to me how Paul Anka learned to open doors. After I got back from the hospital, I went straight to bed and all of a sudden he hopped in with me," Rory explains, grabbing some bags out of the trunk to carry in. 

Lorelai slowly returns to a standing position with a laugh, "Yeah, we haven't quite figured out how he does it, but he does. We had to start locking our door during-- _fun adult time,_ otherwise he'd walk in on us." 

A tiny cry echoes from the carseat Luke was holding and Lorelai leans down to her daughter, "Are we not paying enough attention to you, little miss?" she coos. 

"Just like her mother," Luke says with a smirk and Lorelai swats his shoulder. 

They make their way inside and Luke sets the carseat down on the couch for Lorelai. "Welcome home, Scout," she says softly, unbuckling her from the seat and lifting the baby into her arms, while Rory looked on fondly. "How was the drive over in the Christmas gift?" she asks, joining her mother on the couch. 

Lorelai smiles, "It's pretty nice. I mean, the Jeep will always be number one in my heart, but Audi is slowly weaseling her way in."

"As it should," Rory agrees. "Hey, Sookie called and said she wants to stop by later today when they get back from Jackson's parents' house, if you're up for it."

"Oh, absolutely. Especially if she happens to bring some of her special Christmas danishes with," Lorelai says, gently rocking Scout. 

Rory raises a brow, "You're terrible."

"Hey! I just had a baby. My best friend is a chef. I gotta exploit that," she retorts.

"You're fiancé is also a fantastic cook and will make you whatever you want at the drop of a hat," Rory reminds her, just as Luke walks in with the rest of the bags. "What about me?"

Lorelai shifts Scout to her chest, "How you do whatever I say because you _loooove_ me."

He walks into the living room and stares at the girls, his hands on his hips, "I'm not going to survive with three of you torturing me, am I?" he says, trying to suppress his smile.

"Daddy wants everyone to think he's a grump, but he's really just a big softie," Lorelai whispers to Scout, her gaze not leaving Luke's.

"And let's keep it that way," he whispers back to her. "Gotta keep up the public image, you know."

Lorelai leans forward and pecks a kiss to his lips, "Should we give Scout the grand tour of the Crap Shack?"

"I mean, it'd be pretty rude not to," Rory responds. 

Luke offers his hand to help Lorelai up, and she cradles Scout in her arm so the infant is facing outward, although this tour is entirely for Lorelai's own sentimental purposes. "Okay, kid. This is the living room. It's usually not this festive, but you did decide to show up in time for Christmas, so I guess that's on you."

"I promise it'll be more fun next year, when you realize you have hands," Rory adds, looking at the stacks of unopened gifts under the tree. 

Lorelai looks at her oldest daughter with a fond smile, "Way to refrain yourself from tearing open presents without mommy and Luke," she says, in a voice that you'd typically use on a small child. 

Rory shrugs, "Maybe I did, and outsmarted you by rewrapping."

"You would not!"

"You're right, I wouldn't," Rory admits defeat, following her mother and Luke into the kitchen with Paul Anka curiously trailing behind. The canine wasn't quite sure what to think about the new little addition yet. "This is the kitchen, where Daddy makes the best food in the world-- _and_ his famous coffee," Lorelai says, batting her lashes at Luke. 

"Which you will not be drinking for a very, very, _very_ long time," he adds.

Lorelai looks at him with eager eyes, "And the mommy?"

Luke folds his arms across his chest smugly, "I'll make you some after you feed her."

She smacks a grateful kiss on his cheek before starting for the stairs to go up to the nursery. Luke pushes open the door for her and she walks into the room with Scout for the first time. Her emotions seem to escalate tenfold as she crossed into the soft yellow room. "This is your room Scout," she says tenderly, "I hope you like growing up here."

Luke comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around Lorelai, "I think she likes it so far."

Lorelai looks down at the bundle in her arms, feeling her emotions bubble up in the form of tears. She didn't realize how unbelievably overwhelmed with happiness she could be. She was getting her middle. It was unconventional and unplanned, but Lorelai was positive without a doubt that it was meant to be. It was always supposed to be Luke. Sensing they needed some time alone, Rory pats Luke's shoulder and exits the nursery with Paul Anka at her heels. 

He runs his hand along her arm, "Hey? You alright?"

Lorelai nods, breaking out of her thoughts, "I'm just so happy, Luke," she says softly, sniffling back tears, "I love her so much."

Luke runs his finger over Scout's cheek as she makes a sweet gurgling sound, "Me too. I just can't believe we made her," he says with awe.

The baby starts fussing and Lorelai shifts her to her chest, "Are you hungry, little girl? Guess we're finding out if you have momma's appetite," she coos, sitting down in the rocking chair. Luke asks if she needs anything, but she doesn't. He tells her he's going to make some coffee and it'll be waiting for her when she's done and she gives him a grateful smile. Luke kisses the top of her head before leaving the room and Lorelai watches him go. 

"Your daddy's the best, isn't he?" she says softly, looking down at Scout as she nursed happily. "He loves his Gilmore girls so much. And your big sister and I will teach you how to get him to say 'yes' to anything you want," she pauses, admiring Scout's tiny features. "You inherited my adorable pout so I know you'll be very successful," she giggles. 

Her daughter stares up at her, the baby's dusty blue eyes meeting hers. Lorelai wondered what she thought about being out in the world so far. It must be strange to go from being inside this warm and cozy little space to the sights and sounds of the real world. Scout unlatches, breathing the most adorable sigh and Lorelai lifts her onto her shoulder to burp her, "Oh, such a big sigh for such a tiny girl."

Following the heavenly aroma of Luke's coffee, she collects Scout snugly in her arms and heads down to the kitchen. Rory was helping Luke with brunch, and by 'helping' it was really just her doing all the easy things Luke didn't want to do. 

"Coffee. Gimme. Now," she whines, tugging on the back of his flannel with her free hand. Rory smiles over her shoulder, "I can't believe she held off this long."

Luke nods in agreement, "I know. It's a damn Christmas miracle."

She sticks her lip out, "Luke, please, come on, come on, come on! You promised!"

"Keep you pants on!" he orders, taking a reindeer mug off the shelf and pouring coffee into it, "Here you go, crazy lady."

Lorelai takes the mug in her hand, looking down at it lovingly, and breathes in the divine scent before putting it to her lips and taking a sip. "Oh my god..." she moans, "Oh my god it's even better than I remembered it was."

Luke can't hide the smile that threatens to spill across his face at her ridiculousness. "Don't listen to anything your mother says, _ever,"_ Luke says, tickling Scout's sleeper covered foot. 

"Mean!" she scoffs, before taking another sip of coffee and being transported once again to her happy place, "I can't believe I went nine months without this," she looks down at Scout, "No offense, kid, you were totally worth it." She sits down at the kitchen table, "Is it possible to have a coffee-gasm? Because I'm definitely having one."

Rory snorts and Luke shakes his head in exasperation, "Jeez!"

She laughs wildly, adjusting Scout in the crook of her arm, "You'll have to get use to daddy and I's banter. It's always in love though, right baby?"

"Most of the time," Luke mutters before bringing french toast to the table. 

"Wow, what a spread! I kind of like this. Maybe this should be the new Christmas tradition?" Lorelai muses, grabbing a couple toasts of the stack. 

Rory frowns, "What? No more Santa Burger?"

Lorelai grins, "Oh, no! Of course there will always be room for Santa Burger to make his appearance," she says, looking at Luke with fond memory. She knew even back then that Luke was going to be around for a while. He felt awful that her parents disinvited her to their annual Christmas party, and to put a smile back on her face, he made that disgusting burger. 

Luke smirks at the mention, "I don't think the Santa Burger _should_ ever make another appearance. That thing was premature death waiting to happen."

"That's when I knew you were a keeper," Lorelai informs him, giving his bicep a squeeze.

He blushes slightly, before playing it off sarcastically, "Only since then?"

"What do you think that horoscope was all about then, huh?" she says playfully. 

"It said 'give her coffee and she'll go _away,'"_ he retorts, reminding her of the handwritten message she'd left on the newspaper scrap the first time they met. It was true, from the beginning Lorelai thought he was very attractive, but it wasn't until she saw Luke's genuine kindness in the way he would drop everything to help her and Rory when she realized that Luke Danes was always going to be in her life. 

"I used reverse psychology on you," she says matter of factly, cutting into her french toast.

Rory raises a brow skeptically, "Are you sure about that? Because if _I_ remember it right, everything you did was in the name of flirting your way into free coffee territory," she says with a smirk.

Lorelai looks between Rory and Luke with helpless expression, "Me?! Me _flirt_ for free coffee? I would never!"

Luke snorts, "Now that _is_ hilarious."

"You were the biggest flirt in Stars Hollow and you know it," Rory laughs, "Or, I should clarify--only when it came to all things Luke related."

She narrows her eyes, "Why are you two picking on me?! It's Christmas and I just had a baby, that's got to be some kind of a record low blow," she pauses, glancing down at the newborn in her arms, "You're the only one I like right now," she coos. 

"I just can't believe how quiet she is," Rory muses. "Was I this good?"

Lorelai laughs, "You were definitely a _little_ noisier than she is so far. But, you also had Emily Gilmore trying to put you in sailor suits, so I give you a free pass on the outbursts."

Luke cringes, "Gee, now I'm really looking forward to finding out what's in all those gift bags..."

"I promise you hon, no child of ours will _ever_ be subjected to the tragedy that is the god-awful sailor suit," Lorelai says, leaning over to give him a kiss, "Want to take her?"

He nods, "You don't have to ask me twice."

Lorelai grins and transfers Scout to his waiting arms. "Mommy needs more coffee," she sing-songs, lightly brushing her index finger against the baby's cheek before going to the coffee pot. 

Rory watched in amazement at how natural the two of them seemed to fall into being parents. She expected Luke to have to work to find his rhythm, but the way he snuggly held Scout in his arm, watching her with all the wonder and love a father could have, made her realize that despite all the years of him hiding behind his 'anti-kid' persona, Luke was totally and completely a natural. Rory wondered if she'd be able to fall into a level comfortability and competency with her baby sister, because at the moment, she was still a little unsure. Scout was just so _tiny._ And fragile. As silly as it seemed, Rory was scared she'd accidentally break her. 

As if to agree with Rory's thoughts, Paul Anka cautiously peeked around Luke, still trying to make sense of what this tiny human was doing there. Lorelai glances at the canine and laughs, "Are you a dog or a chicken?" she says, squatting down to pet him, running her hand through Paul Anka's soft fur, "Still not so sure about the little one, huh?"

"He's probably confused," Rory thinks out loud. 

Lorelai scratches behind Paul Anka's ears, while Luke lowered Scout down so she was closer to the anxious dog, "See? She's harmless. I guess that is, until she grows a little, and starts pulling on your tail buddy," Lorelai jokes, as Paul Anka sniffs at Scout's foot. His tail starts wagging, and he licks the baby's hand. 

"Aw, so sweet," she gushes, "What a good big brother."

Luke rolls his eyes at her referring to the dog as their child's big brother, but it was incredibly on-brand for Lorelai, and somewhat enduring to the diner man. He really had gotten used to having Paul Anka around, and as much as it pained him to admit it, he did have a soft spot for the neurotic sheepdog. 

After their late Christmas brunch, they carry on with tradition by opening gifts, the majority of which were tagged for 'Luke and Lorelai,' but ended up being baby paraphernalia, really for Scout. Luke was completely content to hold the newborn, while Lorelai and Rory opened the gifts, their commentary much more fun to listen to than the actual present opening. Rory stopped at one specific gift, thrusting it up on the couch, "Okay, this one you have to open yourself."

He smirks and Lorelai reaches out her arms to take the baby from him. He notices Rory's handwriting on the label and assumes by the look of anticipation on her face, it was from her. Luke tears off the paper and immediately lights up in a way that Lorelai assumed he did as a ten-year-old boy, "Whoa! No way, really?!"

Rory grins, knowing the gift was a hit. Lorelai told her Luke was pining over a very specific fishing rod for months, and she went to great lengths to track it down. "It's the right one, isn't it? Because I really don't want to go back and listen to 'Rocky' attempt to sell me an REI lifetime membership again."

"There will be no need to put yourself through that again," Luke chuckles, "Thanks, Rory. I love it."

"Well, I love the jacket. Seriously Luke, I can't believe how far you've progressed in gift-buying since your unicorn days," she giggles. 

He blushes, "That's all thanks to your mother."

"I trained you well, my young padawan," Lorelai quips, patting him on the back with her free hand. 

Later on, Rory went over to Lane's to do their traditional gift exchange, giving Lorelai and Luke their first bit of real alone time with Scout. Luke was cleaning up the living room, when she came back down the stairs, "Okay, the next diaper is yours, Butch. You owe me _big_ for this last one," she states adamantly, Scout snuggly held against her chest. 

He flashes her a smirk and shrugs, "Hey, might I remind you, _you're_ the one who wanted to rock-paper-scissors for it and _lost."_

"That's because I was so confident I was gonna win," she grumbles.

Luke plops down on the couch and smiles, "Hand her over."

"Daddy wants bonding time now that you smell adorable again," Lorelai coos, placing Scout on his chest. He motions for her to come sit next to him, which she happily obliges to, tucking herself into his side, and curling her arm around his midsection. "This has been the best Christmas yet."

He kisses her, wrapping his free arm around her, while his other hand stayed on Scout's back, "Yeah, I think it'll be pretty hard to top this one."

Lorelai toys with the stunning diamond and rose gold pendant necklace that had found its new place around her neck, "I got a pretty, pretty baby and pretty, pretty jewelry--which, the later of, was totally over-the-top and unnecessary. I think I blacked out when I saw the little blue box," she pauses, "You Gilmore-d me!"

He chuckles, running his hand up her side, "I just wanted to give you something special. It's our first Christmas engaged, our first Christmas with a baby, that's pretty big."

She grins, "Well, as much as you didn't have to, I absolutely love it. You sir, have the jewelry-eye."

Luke blushes, "I don't know, I saw it and I thought of you, and thought about how good you'd look wearing it, and I was right."

"Mmmm, it's a shame I can't give you your favorite gift--my specialty, 'Naked Lorelai' tonight," she nuzzles against his cheek, "But I can give you this, come on."

He looks at her in confusion, as she tugs at his arm, "Huh? Give me what? Where are we going?"

Lorelai takes Scout from him and places her in the bassinet that they had set up in the living room, making sure she stayed sleeping before turning on the baby monitor and taking the receiving end with her. "Just outside. Come on, come on!" she giddily states.

Luke watches with amusement as she throws him his coat, slipping hers on before grabbing him by the hand to lead him outside. He trudges along behind her, wondering what kind of crazy was awaiting him. She stops in front of the garage, spinning around to face him, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"What have you done now?"

"Nothing! You're gonna love it. I had the hardest time keeping this from you, but luckily that whole 'giving birth' thing was a happy distraction," she chirps, "Open it."

He stares at her skeptically, and doesn't move to open the garage door. She sighs, "Oh my god, it's your Christmas gift! Just go in there!"

Luke grabs the handle and swings open the door, as Lorelai flicks on the light, "Ta-da!" she dramatically states, bouncing into what used to be her unorganized pink and blue garage, and had now been converted into a personal home gym. 

He really can't contain his excitement. This was the _last_ thing he expected from Lorelai. But by now, he really should realize that she was anything but predictable.

"Do you like it?!"

Luke walks in and places his hand on the barbell, smiling ear-to-ear, "How did you--? _Where_ did you--?"

She knows by his short rambles that he was truly speechless. Lorelai plops down in front of him on the bench, "Welllll, we were going to put this equipment in the inn and make a personal gym for the guests, but after seeing it in there, we decided to go a different direction, so your incredibly intelligent fiancé scooped it up for quite the steal."

He leans down to kiss her, shaking his head after he breaks apart from her, "This is amazing. I can't believe you did all this. When did you have time?"

"I had Kirk and Jackson haul it over here and set it up while you were forcing me to stay at home. Michel and Sookie did the painting," she pauses, wrapping her arms around his torso, "I just wanted you to have a special 'Luke place' you know? Especially living with us crazy girls now, you needed a space of your own. To do your own manly, he-man things."

Luke still has the same dopey grin plastered on his face, but he doesn't even care. This was awesome. "Be honest, is this also somewhat of a gift for you, so you can sit in _that_ chair and watch me workout?" he asks in amusement. 

Lorelai smiles coyly, looking down at the ground, "Maybe..."

"Knew it."

"The younger and sexier _you_ look, the younger and sexier _I_ look," she explains, "And maybe if you ask reeeeal nicely, I'll even be your spotter."

Luke's face flushes, "Jeez, I think you're too distracting to be my spotter," he says playfully, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Thank you, Lorelai. This is incredible."

"You're welcome, studly-man-of-mine," she pats his chest, "But, the second you hang up a Carmen Electra poster, I will tear this place down."

He grins, "Why do I need Carmen Electra when I got you?"

Lorelai leans into him as they walk back to the house, clutching the baby monitor to her chest, "Give me a few months to get my bod back before you start making any comparisons like that."

"I think you look perfect right now."

She leans up and kisses him before opening the door and going right into the living room to check on Scout. She was still sleeping peacefully, with Paul Anka curled up right next to the bassinet, keeping a watchful eye on the new addition. Lorelai swoons at the scene, grabbing Luke's hand, "Look! Oh, this is _so_ bad for my hormones," she says, her eyes filling up with tears. 

Luke pulls her close as they admire their sleeping newborn, "That's normal. I think you're allowed to cry all you want," he says with smile, kissing her forehead while she sniffles.

"They're just so _precious,"_ she whimpers, "Scout is everything I imagined she'd be and more."

He nods, "She sure is."

"Merry Christmas, babe."

He captures her lips in a kiss, "Merry Christmas, Lorelai."


End file.
